- wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

RimuHosting Hiring
by Peter Bryant 20 Mar '06

20 Mar '06

Hi. I'm looking for someone(s) to do Linux support work for RimuHosting: setup people's Linux servers, install Linux apps, troubleshoot problems and the like. It can be very interesting, challenging work. For those that don't know, RimuHosting is based in Cambridge and we provide Linux VPS hosting services to a global customer base. If you are available part-time (Sundays and/or Mondays) to help, then check out: http://forums.rimuhosting.com/forums/showthread.php?p=645#post645 If you had any questions just reply off list to me. Cheers, Peter

1 0

Re: [wlug] more laptop consideration (a decision)
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 19 Mar '06

19 Mar '06

Should read "no heat problem" ----- Original Message Follows ----- > Waiting until the day before you leave the country is not > a good way to make a buying decision but that is what > happened in my case > _I did_ go to dse and try an install but dopey me took the > wrong architecture so the thing failed. > My purchase was a Acer aspire 5000 amd64 1.6mhz turion > 448 mg of reported ram > Installed is Ubuntu and thanks to a lot of support from a > Wlug member I have a useful system. I need to hunt around > for some vga drivers and some other programmes. > So far I have run the machine for extended periods with > a heat problem. It remains to be seen how it will respond > to bounceing around in a truck for 100,000 miles or so > Thank you for all your advise and help. John > > > ----- Original Message Follows ----- > > Sorry to hear about the issues, I have several acers and > > we had a similar but easily fixed problem. > > > > The poor airflow is really bad dust protection, So what > > we do is use a household vacuum cleaner and the crevice > > tool (narrow slot thing) to vacuum all the cooling > > ports. Diagnostics usually show a 15 - 20 degree drop > > in the CPU temp after this. No need to open the Laptop, > > but it pays to not do while its running. > > > > Could be worth a try > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

1 0

Re: [wlug] more laptop consideration (a decision)
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 19 Mar '06

19 Mar '06

<edit> should be no heat problem!!!!!!! ----- Original Message Follows ----- > Waiting until the day before you leave the country is not > a good way to make a buying decision but that is what > happened in my case > _I did_ go to dse and try an install but dopey me took the > wrong architecture so the thing failed. > My purchase was a Acer aspire 5000 amd64 1.6mhz turion > 448 mg of reported ram > Installed is Ubuntu and thanks to a lot of support from a > Wlug member I have a useful system. I need to hunt around > for some vga drivers and some other programmes. > So far I have run the machine for extended periods with > a heat problem. It remains to be seen how it will respond > to bounceing around in a truck for 100,000 miles or so > Thank you for all your advise and help. John > > > ----- Original Message Follows ----- > > Sorry to hear about the issues, I have several acers and > > we had a similar but easily fixed problem. > > > > The poor airflow is really bad dust protection, So what > > we do is use a household vacuum cleaner and the crevice > > tool (narrow slot thing) to vacuum all the cooling > > ports. Diagnostics usually show a 15 - 20 degree drop > > in the CPU temp after this. No need to open the Laptop, > > but it pays to not do while its running. > > > > Could be worth a try > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

1 0

Re: [wlug] more laptop consideration (a decision)
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 19 Mar '06

19 Mar '06

Waiting until the day before you leave the country is not a good way to make a buying decision but that is what happened in my case _I did_ go to dse and try an install but dopey me took the wrong architecture so the thing failed. My purchase was a Acer aspire 5000 amd64 1.6mhz turion 448 mg of reported ram Installed is Ubuntu and thanks to a lot of support from a Wlug member I have a useful system. I need to hunt around for some vga drivers and some other programmes. So far I have run the machine for extended periods with a heat problem. It remains to be seen how it will respond to bounceing around in a truck for 100,000 miles or so Thank you for all your advise and help. John ----- Original Message Follows ----- > Sorry to hear about the issues, I have several acers and > we had a similar but easily fixed problem. > > The poor airflow is really bad dust protection, So what we > do is use a household vacuum cleaner and the crevice tool > (narrow slot thing) to vacuum all the cooling ports. > Diagnostics usually show a 15 - 20 degree drop in the CPU > temp after this. No need to open the Laptop, but it pays > to not do while its running. > > Could be worth a try

1 0

Before you install Fedora 5...
by Ian McDonald 18 Mar '06

18 Mar '06

>From http://lwn.net/Articles/175793/ Fedora core 5 will (temporarily) break non-GPL modules [Posted March 16, 2006 by corbet] Many Fedora users are anxiously waiting for the Fedora Core 5 release, scheduled for Monday, March 20. Be warned that some of you may have to wait a little longer, however: the kernel shipped with FC5 effectively disallows the loading of any non-GPL modules. That behavior was a mistake, and a fix has already been made, but it is too late to get that fix into the initial FC5 release. So binary module users will want to wait until the first errata kernel is released (a few days, at most) before upgrading. -- Ian McDonald Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4 Blog: http://imcdnzl.blogspot.com WAND Network Research Group Department of Computer Science University of Waikato New Zealand

3 4

Re: [wlug] Looking for HDD
by Matthew Browne (DSL HN) 16 Mar '06

16 Mar '06

You could try PBTech too, they list that model on their website. http://www.pbtechnz.com/?item=HDDWD1039 They say to call for stock but in practise I find they often have stock when they say that. Matt Browne

1 0

Looking for HDD
by Jodi Thomson 16 Mar '06

16 Mar '06

Hi Folks Am on the scrounge here We've had to send a drive off for data recovery. However it's a relatively recent model and the data recovery company has no parts for it, they need the heads. Therefore we are looking for a 'doner' drive that matches the following: Western Digital Caviar SATA 80GB Model: WD800JD - 60LSA0 (Last 6 Digits MUST be exact) Date of Manufacture: 16 OCT 2005 (give or take 1 month) We're willing to pay for a replacement. Does anyone have one of these lying around spare? Cheers Jodi ___________________________________________________ Jodi Thomson, Mr (BA, A+, MCP) IT Support Engineer - Turbo Investments Group Ltd Phone: +64 6 834-0537 ext 1008 cell: +64 21 799 961 jodi.thomson(a)turbogroup.co.nz "Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before." DISCLAIMER: This electronic message together with any attachments is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, do not copy, disclose or use the contents in any way. Please also advise us by return e-mail that you have received the message and then please destroy. Turbo Investments Group Ltd is not responsible for any changes made to this message and / or any attachments after sending by Turbo Investments Group Ltd. We use virus scanning software but exclude all liability for viruses or anything similar in this email or any attachment.

4 6

Re: [wlug] Ubuntu security risk
by Martin, Anthony (NZ) 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

Hi Aristotle, Thanks for the advice on my message being beaten by Matthias. It's pleasing to see people like yourself berating others when they are trying to help or advise other people. It's good to feel part of the community. As for the 15hours behind Mathias, I get my mail from the WLUG in digest form once a day. Hope you have an awesome day Aristotle. Me - I have work to do.

2 1

Ubuntu security risk
by Martin, Anthony (NZ) 13 Mar '06

13 Mar '06

Ran across this today regarding possible password leaks. http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=143334 You might want to review any existing Ubuntu servers pronto. While I didn't see these same values on my Debian Sarge server, that's only one data point. Now I'm off to check my Alpha server. Yet another reason to use temporary passwords when installing systems. Best Regards, Anthony Martin

2 1

WLUG / NZ Linux Wiki Upgrade
by Matt Brown 13 Mar '06

13 Mar '06

Hi All, The WLUG / NZ Linux Wiki has been upgraded from a very old 2002 version of PHPwiki to the latest codebase (1.3.11p1). If you notice any serious problems or regressions please let me know (off list preferably). Cheers -- Matt Brown matt(a)mattb.net.nz Mob +64 21 611 544 www.mattb.net.nz

1 0

Slashdot | Root Password Readable in Clear Text with Ubuntu
by Matthias Dallmeier 13 Mar '06

13 Mar '06

http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/03/13/0525254.shtml FYI -- Matthias

1 0

Re: [wlug] Novell hopes its next desktop will leapfrog Windows -- IDEAS (a little long)
by Mathew Carley 11 Mar '06

11 Mar '06

>>"When Microsoft Vista ships it will catch up to us in a number of areas, but we'll enjoy six months where Novell's Linux desktop is in the lead," Well, I think Novell just needs to start cracking the cogs of it's marketing machine. Take out some Ad's on the telly. Do the Mozilla/ImpeachBush.org/open-source thing and take out full-pagers in (for example) the New Zealand Herald (Or Helsingin Sanomat, Iltalehti or YLE for that matter - not that linux isn't already well known here). I'm sure that Saatchi & Saatchi or Admark or even a company that uses OSS to develop its advertising would be able to come up with a half decent marketing campaign to cover the 6 months between SLED and Windows Vista's release. I remember at the Novell Conference in September 2004 at the Hilton in Auckland had a pretty good little movie that ran for a few minutes (if you were there, I'm talking about the one where they had the cartoon thing based on LOTR) - something like that targeting the main reasons to BUY Linux or buy a machine with Linux on it might work quite well... Even though Microsoft hasn't really pushed out any new consumer products (save the XBOX 360 and maybe a couple of other things) in the past 4, nearly 5 years, I still see their ads all over the world on TV, billboards, street-sign ads etc in Finland, Sweden, Estonia, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Japan, Netherlands, France/Monaco, Italy and where ever the hell else I have been lately. Microsoft's ads are always about "We help you do what it is you want to do... productivity in the office, we help your kids learn blah blah blah"... maybe if Novell can do a "We do all that too, with an interface that makes sense, and far less problems with Viruses and Spyware! Plus out search tools are better... this is prettier, that is better, you can still do everything you do on your MS OS and for a cheaper price!" At least here Linux is used in all the banking kiosks which are located next to most ATMs that are not outside, Public Libraries, Private/University Libraries, Info Kiosks, certain Government departments, CyberCafes (Ok, well they are coffee places like Starbucks, but they have free Internet or WiFi access if you buy a coffee)... and so on. The fact that Linux is fairly widely used in comparison has kind of provided an answer to the interface question, though: Most people don't give a toss what interface they are using, so long as it works. For example, Kirjasto Kymanen (the library next to the central railway station), The "Queue Up" computers are all Linux (not sure which distro) running KDE 3.3, with Firefox, aMSN, OpenOffice 1.x and a couple of other little apps. People just go on there to check email, do banking etc, and don't seem to have any trouble adapting from Windows to Linux to Mac to whatever. There are some Windows NT and XP machines available, as well as some Macs, but you have to reserve them specifically. Anyway, getting back to my original point: yes, Linux is technically superior. Yes, Mac OS is easier to use. But it's Microsoft thats been marketing it's arse off for the past 20 years getting hundreds of millions of consumers to buy their crap. Perhaps a few side deals with the top 5 OEMs helped but thats not what I am getting at. So, Novell, start marketing now (build up some hype a-la MS), get a "Think Secret"-style fan club/insider info source site and then do a fantastic release a-la Apple... perhaps do it differently, you know... Take out the Aotea Centre or something and do a big product release. Even better if you can get it on TV3 or the news or something. Have like... "NovCon 2006" or "Novell Consumer Fair" of some sort; you know; get your shit together. Maybe some free CDs or additional software... Even better if live-installation is included for those that buy the new NLED or something - all without erasing documents and so on (OK maybe some of this is not so feasible at something the size of what I am imagining) OR... Trade in your Microsoft Software (Windows/Office, non-pirate copies of course) for a FREE copy of NLED! Or how about getting someone like [insert random tv-personality here, I will choose Kerry Woodham because I know her from when I was a kid - or even John Campbell] to like, install and show off how pretty the new interface is... on like Good Morning New Zealand or Campbell Live or whatever shows are on these days... that covers your bored housewife demographic, depending on the time of day its shown. Partner with like, Dick Smith, Harvey Norman or someone like that to get it installed on new machines, or some other nation-wide chain that services computers (I don't know if DSE does this...) to get this up and running on some more machines. It can be done, it will more than likely cost some money, but I'm sure it would be worth it. Perhaps some Mom-and-pop style Computer Stores (SmartPC, Millennium Technology, PB Tech, any others I have missed) might like to partner with Novell too... tangible benefits? We all know Microsoft offers incentives, now, don't we! I'll end it here, I am sure you all get my drift :) -- Regards Mathew Carley **UUSI** Nopeita tietokonepalveluita ja ohjausta @ www.fingeekit.com (Avaamme pian!) HostENZ Data Services A Carley Network Media Ltd. (NZ) Company http://www.hostenz.co.nz mathewc(a)hostenz.co.nz Phone (Suomalainen Yhteyshenkilö/Svensk Kontakt): +358 4 4925 0459 Phone (Helsinki Office): +358 9 2316 3712 Phone (Finland Cellular/English): +358 4 0418 6944 **NEW** Phone (France Cellular): +33 6 1811 9475 Sony IVE Number: 243 700 9835 Skype: mgcarley MSN Messenger: mgcarley(a)hostenz.co.nz The information contained in this electronic mail message and any attachments are confidential to Carley Network Media Ltd and it's subsidiaries, and may contain proprietary information or may be legally privileged. See http://www.cnmltd.net/email/ for our standard email disclaimer. Errors & Omissions Excepted. Prices in this email do not include GST unless stated otherwise.

1 0

Upcoming WLUG committee meeting (1 week yesterday)
by Craig Box 10 Mar '06

10 Mar '06

As per the WLUG charter, please note that there is a WLUG executive committee meeting one week from today. If you wish to get an item on the agenda for this meeting, please email it to secretary(a)wlug.org.nz. Craig

1 0

Interview with Linus Torvalds about GPL3
by Ian McDonald 09 Mar '06

09 Mar '06

Quite interesting... http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/03/09/torvalds-linux-licensing-cz_dl_… -- Ian McDonald Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4 Blog: http://imcdnzl.blogspot.com WAND Network Research Group Department of Computer Science University of Waikato New Zealand

1 0

Novell hopes its next desktop will leapfrog Windows
by Ian McDonald 09 Mar '06

09 Mar '06

By Ingrid Marson http://news.com.com/Novell+hopes+its+next+desktop+will+leapfrog+Windows/210… Story last modified Thu Mar 09 12:05:50 PST 2006 advertisement Novell on Thursday unveiled the features that will be available in the next version of its Linux desktop product--SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop--which the company claims will be more usable than any other desktop product on the market. "We have made a big investment taking the Linux desktop past everybody. The usability work we've done is not to reinvent Windows, but to reinvent a better desktop," Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, Novell's director of marketing for Linux and open source, told ZDNet UK on Wednesday. "When Microsoft Vista ships it will catch up to us in a number of areas, but we'll enjoy six months where Novell's Linux desktop is in the lead," he said. The SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED), which will be available beginning this summer, is a "big change for Linux" as it is now suitable for all enterprise users, according to Mancusi-Ungaro. "Up until now the Linux desktop has primarily been deployed in specialized circumstances--as a fixed-function workstation or as a transactional desktop," he said. "Now, for first time, we can tell you with confidence that it can be deployed for general office workers." Important new features in SLED include an animated user interface and integrated desktop search. Other features that Novell is touting in the product include the addition of support for Microsoft Excel Macros and Pivot Tables in OpenOffice.org, and full support for all standard network and printing protocols, allowing plug-and-play functionality for cameras, USB drives, personal music players and printers. The animated GUI takes advantage of the XGL graphics software, which Novell made available to the open-source community last month. The GUI makes the Linux desktop more usable, for example, by providing visual cues to users when they minimize windows, according to Mancusi-Ungaro. "When users minimize windows to the panel at the bottom of the screen they will see it move there rather than vanish, so users are more aware of where they have put something," he said. As for desktop search, although the Beagle tool is already available in SuSE Linux Professional 9.3, this is the first time that Novell is offering seven years' support around the product. Novell carried out hundreds of usability tests and shot almost 1,500 hours of user-interaction video to aid the design of SLED. It claimed that each feature of the product has been "rigorously tested and refined for usability to ensure the best possible performance in a business environment." The results of the usability tests can be viewed on Novell's Better Desktop Web site. Ingrid Marson of ZDNet UK reported from New York. Copyright (c)1995-2006 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. -- Ian McDonald Web: http://wand.net.nz/~iam4 Blog: http://imcdnzl.blogspot.com WAND Network Research Group Department of Computer Science University of Waikato New Zealand

2 1

Laptop considerations
by Mathew Carley 08 Mar '06

08 Mar '06

Might have to try that next time the machine powers off because I forget to open the window and let some snow and cold air in to my apartment ;-) The overheating was a real problem over the Summer (July/August/September) whilst I was in Bordeaux and Nice; because the laptop would power off just randomly if I wasn't giving it some airflow underneath by letting it sit on top of a pen (underneath where the fan is) or something - especially during the day. I kind of forgive it, though - I didn't feel like working in those temperatures either. Still, I don't know if I would recommend an Acer to anyone again... They have just kind of lost my trust. I have one client back in NZ who brought one about a year ago, and I never hear the end of it, as it too, sounds like its a dudd. Different model, though. Perhaps its just sub-NZ$2500 Acers :-( Long story short I am in the market for a new laptop as well, so it will be interesting to see what laptop is chosen here. Gavin Denby wrote: Sorry to hear about the issues, I have several acers and we had a similar but easily fixed problem. The poor airflow is really bad dust protection, So what we do is use a household vacuum cleaner and the crevice tool (narrow slot thing) to vacuum all the cooling ports. Diagnostics usually show a 15 - 20 degree drop in the CPU temp after this. No need to open the Laptop, but it pays to not do while its running. Could be worth a try -- Regards Mathew Carley **UUSI** Nopeita tietokonepalveluita ja ohjausta @ www.fingeekit.com (Avaamme pian!) HostENZ Data Services A Carley Network Media Ltd. (NZ) Company http://www.hostenz.co.nz mathewc(a)hostenz.co.nz Phone (Suomalainen Yhteyshenkil?/Svensk Kontakt): +358 4 4925 0459 Phone (Helsinki Office): +358 9 2316 3712 Phone (Finland Cellular/English): +358 4 0418 6944 **NEW** Phone (France Cellular): +33 6 1811 9475 Sony IVE Number: 243 700 9835 Skype: mgcarley MSN Messenger: mgcarley(a)hostenz.co.nz The information contained in this electronic mail message and any attachments are confidential to Carley Network Media Ltd and it's subsidiaries, and may contain proprietary information or may be legally privileged. See http://www.cnmltd.net/email/ for our standard email disclaimer. Errors & Omissions Excepted. Prices in this email do not include GST unless stated otherwise.

1 0

Re: [wlug] wlug Digest, Vol 177, Issue 3
by Mathew Carley 08 Mar '06

08 Mar '06

In my experience, I would not buy another Acer - especially a cheap one. Not because of the lack of Linux support (I've run several Debian Based distros including Breezy and Xandros, Suse 9, 10, Fedora and probably others without too much trouble). The main reason is the fact that I've had so many problems with the hardware; including the fact that my machine in particular is badly designed (very little airflow over the processor, which is prone to overheating - lucky I can just open the window, and because its -10 outside it cools down OK). I've had the motherboard and hard drive replaced (in the first year) and the second hard drive died just 3 weeks ago. Their 2-hour warranty service agreement is misleading (I used to work for an Acer reseller until about 3 years ago), if I unplug the speakers or a pair of headphones, there seems to be a short of some sort which causes the machine to just turn off... and... I'm sure there are other things too. It went in for warranty service (for periods up to a week, even if I drove to Auckland to hand-deliver the machine) I think 4 or 5 times in its first year. Perhaps I just got a lemon. I do remember someone else at an installfest a year ago having the same overheating problem that I did with the same model of laptop, though. Normally I wouldn't speak so badly of a product or brand, but this thing has just been ridiculous. Lucky for me I have just had the opportunity to acquire a nice Mac, so I'm happy about that. I'll be using this laptop as a media center in my apartment or something. Go for the Toshiba or something similar. I wish I had gone and got a Toshiba. I will put it this way: if the motherboard chipset is Intel, chances are most (if not all) of the bits and pieces attached will work in Linux. Not always true, but something I would use to gauge the likelihood of something working. Also, if you can get an ATi video processor on board, thats usually a good thing, right? Fujitsu Siemens are supposed to be OK, but I'm not sure about the differences between FS in Finland and FS in New Zealand (the same way that HP and NEC/Packard Bell are very different in quality between the USA/NZ and Japan/NZ respectively). As for the power brick - I dont think I have seen one for a laptop that is not capable of handling 100-250v and 50-60Hz, so it shouldn't be a problem. Keep in mind that the next Ubuntu will be coming out in a month or thereabouts, so perhaps if something doesn't work in Breezy 5.10, it might work in 6.04? Mathew -- Regards Mathew Carley **UUSI** Nopeita tietokonepalveluita ja ohjausta @ www.fingeekit.com (Avaamme pian!) HostENZ Data Services A Carley Network Media Ltd. (NZ) Company http://www.hostenz.co.nz mathewc(a)hostenz.co.nz Phone (Suomalainen Yhteyshenkilö/Svensk Kontakt): +358 4 4925 0459 Phone (Helsinki Office): +358 9 2316 3712 Phone (Finland Cellular/English): +358 4 0418 6944 **NEW** Phone (France Cellular): +33 6 1811 9475 Sony IVE Number: 243 700 9835 Skype: mgcarley MSN Messenger: mgcarley(a)hostenz.co.nz The information contained in this electronic mail message and any attachments are confidential to Carley Network Media Ltd and it's subsidiaries, and may contain proprietary information or may be legally privileged. See http://www.cnmltd.net/email/ for our standard email disclaimer. Errors & Omissions Excepted. Prices in this email do not include GST unless stated otherwise.

4 3

Warren Hughes (IBM) is out of the office.
by Warren Hughes 08 Mar '06

08 Mar '06

I will be out of the office starting 07/03/2006 and will not return until 09/03/2006. Hi, thanks for your email. In my absence for urgent queries please contact Wayne Goss on +64 21 375592. Otherwise I will respond tomorrow March 9. Cheers, Warren.

1 0

Re: [wlug] more laptop consideration
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 08 Mar '06

08 Mar '06

----- Original Message Follows ----- > Sorry to hear about the issues, I have several acers and > we had a similar but easily fixed problem. > > The poor airflow is really bad dust protection, So what we > do is use a household vacuum cleaner and the crevice tool > (narrow slot thing) to vacuum all the cooling ports. Phew I bet you have to chock the fan first or it would huper drive :-) <quote> Laptops are great but if you want a workhorse that keeps on trucking for years at a time, nothing beats a (under-the-)desktop box. ;)<end quote> I agree with Oliver but a desk top is hard get get around with.. John > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

2 1

Re: [wlug] New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 07 Mar '06

07 Mar '06

Hello all It just gets better all the time. Matt told me to bring a full distro (after showing me e-live) and see if it installs ok if not get some thing else. I cant argue with that so will try it before long Watch this space. John ----- Original Message Follows ----- > another Hint ... If you go into the powerhouse store, Ask > Matt at the Support counter of his opinion, After he gets > past how great e-live is as a distro > if the store wont let you boot a live Linux cd, you > should be looking elsewhere. Again Matt will have some > experience here as its his "Job" to try these sorts of > things (and he gets to mix business and pleasure) > > At the end of the Day you can never do too much homework. > > Good luck and let us know what you end up with and why. > > Daniel Lawson wrote: > > >Again, as Craig suggested, take an Ubuntu livecd into DSE > and try it out. > > >_______________________________________________ > >wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > >Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

4 3

Warren Hughes (IBM) is out of the office.
by Warren Hughes 07 Mar '06

07 Mar '06

I will be out of the office starting 07/03/2006 and will not return until 08/03/2006. Hi, thanks for your email. In my absence for urgent queries please contact Wayne Goss on +64 21 375592. Otherwise I will respond tomorrow March 8. Cheers, Warren.

1 0

Fwd: Re: New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

Sorry Drew I meant to "reply all" John ----- Message Forwarded on Mon 6/3/2006 ----- From: "" <jaytee(a)clear.net.nz> To: Drew Broadley <drew(a)corrupt.co.nz> Subject: Re: [wlug] New laptop Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 18:58:24 +1300 Someone mooted that if the frequencies are the same <50mhz> then the power outlet voltage is fairly unimportant there fore it should run on an American outlet. Yes there are 110v transformers available I was hoping not to have to get one though, hence my question(s) John ----- Original Message Follows ----- > jaytee(a)clear.net.nz wrote: > > I also wonder if it is likely to run properly on > > 110 volts.. > > Well, I'd hope you'll be running it on ~12-15v ;) > > You should be able to get an American version of the 240v > transformer brick you get with it. > > - Drew

2 1

New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

Hi All I am thinking seriously about buying an entry level Acer 1.5mhz 40gig hd 512meg ram wifi enabled laptop from DSE and wondered if it would be suitable to run a Ubuntu system.(Breezy) I also wonder if it is likely to run properly on 110 volts.. Nods of approval most welcome <g> Regards John..

5 4

Re: [wlug] New laptop
by David Nicholls 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

Could also perhaps try the hp compaqs, and ive run an ubuntu live cd on them without too much trouble... Very nicely specced too. > -----Original Message----- > From: Gavin Denby [mailto:redhat(a)ihug.co.nz] > Sent: Tuesday, 7 March 2006 12:15 a.m. > To: Waikato Linux Users Group > Subject: Re: [wlug] New laptop > > another Hint ... If you go into the powerhouse store, Ask > Matt at the Support counter of his opinion, After he gets > past how great e-live is as a distro ( Actually I am getting > to like it), he will be able to discuss the pro's and cons of > Linux on the various laptops. > > The 2 points will be wireless card support ( a pig when your > built in doesn't work and you have to add a pcmcia card), and > the Video driver, If you can live with unaccelerated VESA it > wont matter as much, but some SIS an be annoying as well. > Also look at little things like the volume control and Screen > brightness controls, if these work its a definite plus. > > Live CD's definitely help in his area and are a good idea, if > the store wont let you boot a live Linux cd, you should be > looking elsewhere. > Again Matt will have some experience here as its his "Job" to > try these sorts of things (and he gets to mix business and pleasure) > > At the end of the Day you can never do too much homework. > > Good luck and let us know what you end up with and why. > > Daniel Lawson wrote: > > >Again, as Craig suggested, take an Ubuntu livecd into DSE > and try it out. > > > >_______________________________________________ > >wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > >Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug > >

1 0

Re: [wlug] New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

Argh!!! My other option in that price range would be a Toshiba satellite with similar features. Would that be a better idea?? Regards John.. ----- Original Message Follows ----- > On Mon, Mar 06, 2006 at 07:17:03PM +1300, > > jaytee(a)clear.net.nz wrote: Many thanks Fridolin. > > > > Does anyone have an opinion on the Acer running Ubuntu?? > > Regards John > > > According to Matthew Garrett's presentation on lca2006, > Acer isn't a good choice at all. Matthew is currently > responsible for laptop issue for Ubuntu, such as ACPI. > > -- > Best Regards, > Carlos > > _______________________________________________ > wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > Unsubscribe: > http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

3 2

Re: [wlug] New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

-I do not know the model but I think it is a new "SPECIAL" I was quoted $998 for the 256 meg ram plus around $70 for the other 256 meg. The proccesser maybe a 1.4 or 1.6 thanks for the link and idea of trying a live cd in store ----- Original Message Follows ----- > On Mon, 2006-03-06 at 17:31 +1300, jaytee(a)clear.net.nz > > wrote: Hi All > > I am thinking seriously about buying an entry level > > Acer 1.5mhz 40gig hd 512meg ram wifi enabled laptop from > > DSE and wondered if it would be suitable to run a Ubuntu > > system.(Breezy) > > You don't mention the particular model you are intending > to purchase which makes it hard to answer the question. I > can't find a model that matches the specs you list above > on DSEs website either. > > Ubuntu's laptop support page for Acer at: > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupportMachinesLaptopsAcer > > indicates that there is a wide range in the level of > support with some models working almost perfect, others > not so well. > > The best strategy would be to take the Ubuntu live CD > along to DSE and try it in the laptop in question. > > Regards > > -- > Matt Brown > matt(a)mattb.net.nz > Mob +64 21 611 544 www.mattb.net.nz > > [Attachment: matt(a)mattb.net.nz.sig]

1 0

Re: [wlug] New laptop
by jaytee＠clear.net.nz 06 Mar '06

06 Mar '06

Many thanks Fridolin. Does anyone have an opinion on the Acer running Ubuntu?? Regards John ----- Original Message Follows ----- > John, > > most notebook adapters take voltage from 100 to 240 V.... > > Greetings from Tauranga > > Fridolin >

2 1

Acceptable use of the WLUG Mailing List
by Meeting Reminder bot 28 Feb '06

28 Feb '06

The WLUG Mailing List is the discussion-list extension of the Waikato Linux Users Group (Incorporated). As such, we expect members of this list to adhere to the principles espoused in the official WLUG Charter[1], in particular, Rule 6, which covers the activities on this mailing list. While this is an Acceptable Use Policy, the WLUG Committee do recognise the need for informal discussion among list members, and draconian administration is not the goal here. Please keep in mind, however, that your comments to this list do represent the WLUG, and while it is good to be seen as an organisation with a sense of humour, some comments may do major harm to our credibility as a serious advocate of GNU/Linux and all things Free Software/ Open Source related. List discussion should * be honest * accentuate the positive, without hyperbole or blatant misrepresentation * maintain a reasonable level of spelling and grammar * not indulge in ad hominem attacks * not continue inflammatory or abusive threads * not be unprofessional or petty, especially with respect to the names of other software companies * not promote or denigrate political, cultural, or religious views * not indulge in marketing or advertising, other than on a private sale basis, or advertising of jobs - which may be announced once only * not reproduce copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder * not defame any person or organisation Posters who consistently violate these guidelines will be dealt with at the discretion of the List Maintainer. If you feel you have been unfairly dealt with, you have recourse to any member of the WLUG Committee[2]. Certain mailing list etiquette should also be maintained: * please use only plain text (not HTML) * reply inline or below when quoting, rather than on top * trim quotes (don't reply quoting a 10 page message with a single line of reply) If you have any questions, start reading at http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html. These points have been established over a long time on this list. If you want to question them, please do it off list. As list users, use your discretion when pulling people up over etiquette - please reply off list, and if there is a serious breach, the list administrator will probably have dealt with it off-list already. [1] http://www.wlug.org.nz/WlugCharter [2] http://www.wlug.org.nz/WlugCommittee

1 0

Last nights meeting
by Craig Box 27 Feb '06

27 Feb '06

Thanks to Peter Bryant for an excellent meeting last night about his Linux VPS company, Rimu Hosting. If you're interested in buying (root!) access to a virtual private server, check out http://www.rimuhosting.com/. Before the meeting, I ran a video demonstrating Xgl, Novell's 3D-accelerated desktop technology. We talked briefly about this and Red Hat's upcoming technology, AIGLX. If you're interested, there is a good article that explains the difference between the approaches: http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/newsletters/accelerated_x/index_p1.html The video I showed is at http://pubcrawler.org/2006/02/23/jaw-dropping-xgl-demo/. Be aware it's a 50Mb download, modem users! Regards, Craig

1 0

WLUG meeting is tonight
by Meeting Reminder Bono 26 Feb '06

26 Feb '06

Aye, kiddies. It's everyone's favourite proto-Eirishman, Paul Hewson. When I'm not busy wailing and modelling sunglasses, I like to save the world. And what greater way to do that than through Free Software. So I encourage you all to come to WLUG's meeting tonight. And buy my albums. Synopsis: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Our guest for February is Peter Bryant from RimuHosting, a VirtualPrivateServer company based in Cambridge, New Zealand (http://www.wlug.org.nz/NewZealand) Peter's talk will hopefully touch on: * the history of RimuHosting * using virtualisation (http://www.wlug.org.nz/VirtualPrivateServer) on http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux * his experience as an employer of http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux staff * running an international business from NZ (Please add other points if you would like Peter to touch on them; if you are Peter, please feel free to edit the list to reflect what you want to talk about!) As usual, there will be a Q&A session at the end, followed by refreshments. Location is TW.2.07 (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TW) at the University of Waikato. Meeting will start at 7:30pm. * About Rimu Hosting: http://rimuhosting.com/support/aboutrh.jsp

1 0

Re: [wlug] Modem dropping
by David Bowen 24 Feb '06

24 Feb '06

> It used to work OK but is now taking 3 + attempts to connect. > Anyone have any ideas. Try this as your /etc/ppp/options - works for me with that modem === cut here === lock noauth defaultroute ipcp-max-configure 65 ipcp-accept-local ipcp-accept-remote idle 600 === cut here === Cheers John Thanks John I put that in on Thursday morning and tried it three times during the day. It connected first time every time. I typed out a reply and got called away in the middle of it. Came back a few minutes later and went to send it.... but it had dropped the line again. This time it would not connect again. Sounds like it was having trouble negotiating protocols. I have a speaker on the phone line as part of my job is fixing modems to component level. These ones aren't plug in! No involvement on software level! I had tried another modem in before when I had the problem of not connecting and had no joy, then the hard drive gave up. Went from tap tap to get it to start spinning at times to suddenly can't find /dev/HDD... during use. Might be worth swapping the modem again when I get time. " If you want to try Ubuntu, I wrote a script to get this modem set up under it which you may find handy. Of course, I make no guarantees regarding my scripting abilities... Regards, Bnonn " Thanks Bnonn I got the modem working under Breezy already. It was well written up on the Ubuntu wiki. I also got it working on the updated kernel, I just have to figure out how to stop it from connecting during boot, about the time in the sequence it says " Setting the clock to ntp Ubuntu... it starts to dial, before log in! Then asks for password to disconnect :-) Thanks anyway I will keep playing with it and see what hapens Regards David Bowen

1 0

Linux keyboard
by Craig Box 24 Feb '06

24 Feb '06

http://www.cherrycorp.com/english/cymotion-line/cymotion-line_master_lin ux.htm Craig

4 4

WLUG Meeting is on Monday
by Meeting Reminder bot 23 Feb '06

23 Feb '06

The WLUG meeting is on Monday ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Our guest for February is Peter Bryant from RimuHosting, a VirtualPrivateServer company based in Cambridge, New Zealand (http://www.wlug.org.nz/NewZealand) Peter's talk will hopefully touch on: * the history of RimuHosting * using virtualisation (http://www.wlug.org.nz/VirtualPrivateServer) on http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux * his experience as an employer of http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux staff * running an international business from NZ (Please add other points if you would like Peter to touch on them; if you are Peter, please feel free to edit the list to reflect what you want to talk about!) As usual, there will be a Q&A session at the end, followed by refreshments. Location is TW.2.07 (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TW) at the University of Waikato. Meeting will start at 7:30pm. * About Rimu Hosting: http://rimuhosting.com/support/aboutrh.jsp

1 0

The Digital Dream.
by Oliver Jones 23 Feb '06

23 Feb '06

Does anyone have a copy of The Digital Dream on file? Craig? If so, please email me. Thanks.

2 2

Text encoding
by Bnonn 23 Feb '06

23 Feb '06

Hi everyone. I have created a large text file which is essentially a concatenated bunch of emails. I simply selected the emails in Evolution with shift-click, and went "Save As". I can open the file fine in nano, or I can cat it without problems. It has a lot of useless crap markup, but that's to be expected. However, I'm completely unable to open it in gedit; I just get the error that gedit couldn't determine the correct character encoding. I've tried manually selecting all the various UTF and Western encodings without luck; the only one that will open at all is UTF-16, which renders the file as a lot of Japanese-looking text. Any ideas? Regards, Bnonn

8 10

Modem dropping
by David Bowen 21 Feb '06

21 Feb '06

Hi I am having a problem with the modem dropping while connecting to the net. (ihug) This is an Intel 536 modem on Mandrake 10.1 It dials, says expecting connect, then, starting pppd, and a few seconds later the modem drops the line, and some seconds later a dialogue box comes up and says Kpppd daemon died unexpectedly error 17 Kppd manual says that error 17 is a to do with loop back detected so the following part of the log would seem to be relevant. Feb 21 18:16:25 localhost pppd[21220]: Serial line is looped back. Feb 21 18:16:25 localhost pppd[21220]: sent [LCP TermReq id=0xb "Loopback detected"] Feb 21 18:16:25 localhost pppd[21220]: rcvd [LCP TermReq id=0xb "Loopback detected"] Feb 21 18:16:25 localhost pppd[21220]: sent [LCP TermAck id=0xb] Feb 21 18:16:26 localhost pppd[21220]: rcvd [LCP TermAck id=0xb] Feb 21 18:16:26 localhost pppd[21220]: Connection terminated. Feb 21 18:16:26 localhost pppd[21220]: Exit. It used to work OK but is now taking 3 + attempts to connect. Anyone have any ideas. I could try Ubuntu, Just installed that at home, Suse on this would one be my other option :-)

3 2

WLUG meeting is one week away
by Meeting Reminder bot 19 Feb '06

19 Feb '06

The Waikato Linux Users Group have a meeting in one week today. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Our guest for February is Peter Bryant from RimuHosting, a VirtualPrivateServer company based in Cambridge, New Zealand (http://www.wlug.org.nz/NewZealand) Peter's talk will hopefully touch on: * the history of RimuHosting * using virtualisation (http://www.wlug.org.nz/VirtualPrivateServer) on http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux * his experience as an employer of http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux staff * running an international business from NZ (Please add other points if you would like Peter to touch on them; if you are Peter, please feel free to edit the list to reflect what you want to talk about!) As usual, there will be a Q&A session at the end, followed by refreshments. Location is TW.2.07 (http://www.wlug.org.nz/TW) at the University of Waikato. Meeting will start at 7:30pm. * About Rimu Hosting: http://rimuhosting.com/support/aboutrh.jsp

2 1

Upcoming WLUG committee meeting (1 week today)
by Meeting Reminder bot 15 Feb '06

15 Feb '06

As per the WLUG charter, please note that there is a WLUG executive committee meeting one week from today. If you wish to get an item on the agenda for this meeting, please email it to secretary(a)wlug.org.nz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WLUG Committee Meeting To have something added to the agenda for this meeting, please email secretary @ wlug.org.nz. Provisional agenda: # Minutes from previous meeting # Matters arising # Correspondence # Treasurers report # General business ----- CommitteeMeetingTopics

1 0

Postfix rules.
by Oliver Jones 15 Feb '06

15 Feb '06

Hi Guys. I recently setup postfix on my new server and have configured it to be rather strict when accepting mail. It has done wonders for reducing the amount of spam the server accepts. Ie, the volume of spam I now get has dropped to nearly zero without the need for tools like SpamAssassin. However legit mail is also being rejected. With good reason though, usually the sending host has fucked up DNS entries or is identifying itself with an invalid hostname during SMTP HELO/EHLO. Anyone else here use postfix? If so what are your smtpd_*_restrictions set to? Have you had to loosen your rules to allow valid mail sources that are badly configured though? What sort of policies do you have in place? What other alternatives to "reject_unknown_client" are there? Advice, help, suggestions most certainly welcome. Regards

1 0

Evolution Contacts
by Gun Caundle 14 Feb '06

14 Feb '06

Can anybody help me get my Evolution 'Contacts' in Ubuntu into Thunderbird which is on another PC? Cheers

2 1

FW: Linux Management Survey Results
by Craig Box 13 Feb '06

13 Feb '06

From: Andi Mann [mailto:amann(a)enterprisemanagement.com] Sent: Tuesday, 14 February 2006 10:36 a.m. To: secretary(a)wlug.org.nz Subject: Linux Management Survey Results Hi, You might remember in November last year, I asked for assistance from you and members of the Waikato Linux Users Group for our research on the cost and effort involved in managing Linux server environments. Your members' responses to our web survey were added to a wide-ranging random telephone survey and in-depth interviews to get a vendor-neutral look at Linux system management. Well, the study is complete now, and I promised to send it to you when it was done. You can get the executive summary from OSDL's web site at http://osdl.org/newsroom/studies/EMA, and the full PDF is available at the web site of the main sponsor (Levanta) at http://www.levanta.com/linuxstudy/. Please feel free to pass these links along to your members, at your discretion. Both the summary and the full report are available free of charge. I want to thank you again for your help with collecting primary data for this study. Due to the anonymous nature of the web survey, I cannot be sure that your members contributed, but I am sure they will be interested to see the results anyway. If you have any questions or comment, please feel free to contact me. Regards, Andi Mann Senior Analyst Enterprise Management Associates.

1 0

e ink displays
by stephen pearce 09 Feb '06

09 Feb '06

Is anyone using the Sony Librie, or Panasonic or Toshiba equivalents .. or the recently introduced Sony Reader? -- Stephen Pearce Critical Care Whangarei ph 021 390 997

1 0

Where to buy and get good advice on computers which will operate with Ubuntu Breezy
by Ron Dean 08 Feb '06

08 Feb '06

I am considering buying a new bare bones system but wish to make sure it works. I use it mostly for Photo editing with the Gimp and some other graphics programs. Would an on board graphics or an additional Video card be a good idea. I was also considering getting 1gig ram. I wanted it to be a Linux only box. Also should I choose a 64bit system.

4 5

ftp.nz.debian.org not updating (unstable at least)
by Ian McDonald 07 Feb '06

07 Feb '06

Folks, In case you are using this it has not been updating at present for unstable for debian at least. If you use this as your primary apt source (as I was) you might want to change your setup... Ian -- Ian McDonald http://wand.net.nz/~iam4 WAND Network Research Group University of Waikato New Zealand

1 0

debian console issue.
by Michael J Knox 04 Feb '06

04 Feb '06

OK, I am kinda stumped. I admin a server for someone, it runs debian sarge. The guy is telling me that from within mc, he can use caps and not use caps fine, but when he drops to a console, he only gets caps, even with the caps key off. Now, I can see this thru ssh. Any ideas? Michael

3 6

Acceptable use of the WLUG Mailing List
by Meeting Reminder bot 31 Jan '06

31 Jan '06

The WLUG Mailing List is the discussion-list extension of the Waikato Linux Users Group (Incorporated). As such, we expect members of this list to adhere to the principles espoused in the official WLUG Charter[1], in particular, Rule 6, which covers the activities on this mailing list. While this is an Acceptable Use Policy, the WLUG Committee do recognise the need for informal discussion among list members, and draconian administration is not the goal here. Please keep in mind, however, that your comments to this list do represent the WLUG, and while it is good to be seen as an organisation with a sense of humour, some comments may do major harm to our credibility as a serious advocate of GNU/Linux and all things Free Software/ Open Source related. List discussion should * be honest * accentuate the positive, without hyperbole or blatant misrepresentation * maintain a reasonable level of spelling and grammar * not indulge in ad hominem attacks * not continue inflammatory or abusive threads * not be unprofessional or petty, especially with respect to the names of other software companies * not promote or denigrate political, cultural, or religious views * not indulge in marketing or advertising, other than on a private sale basis, or advertising of jobs - which may be announced once only * not reproduce copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder * not defame any person or organisation Posters who consistently violate these guidelines will be dealt with at the discretion of the List Maintainer. If you feel you have been unfairly dealt with, you have recourse to any member of the WLUG Committee[2]. Certain mailing list etiquette should also be maintained: * please use only plain text (not HTML) * reply inline or below when quoting, rather than on top * trim quotes (don't reply quoting a 10 page message with a single line of reply) If you have any questions, start reading at http://www.gweep.ca/~edmonds/usenet/ml-etiquette.html. These points have been established over a long time on this list. If you want to question them, please do it off list. As list users, use your discretion when pulling people up over etiquette - please reply off list, and if there is a serious breach, the list administrator will probably have dealt with it off-list already. [1] http://www.wlug.org.nz/WlugCharter [2] http://www.wlug.org.nz/WlugCommittee

1 0

Help with fstab
by Ron Dean 28 Jan '06

28 Jan '06

I have a CDRom with filenames in upper and lower case. The file names link in pdf In acroreader for Linux The following works straight from the command line only when I am in root mount /dev/hdb /media/cdrom0 -o check=r However I can't get it to work when I modify my fstab file /dev/hdb /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0

5 8

PHP Developers
by Oliver Jones 26 Jan '06

26 Jan '06

Hi. Anyone know any really good contract PHP developers in the Waikato region? Regards

3 2

Re: [wlug] help with shell scripting
by David Nicholls 24 Jan '06

24 Jan '06

Thanks daniel, I'll pass that on. Unfortunately due to the nature of the scientific program he is interfacing with, shell script is it as far as I am aware. I'll let you know how he goes. > -----Original Message----- > From: Daniel Lawson [mailto:daniel(a)meta.net.nz] > Sent: Tuesday, 24 January 2006 9:33 a.m. > > I can't help you on campus (work in Auckland now) and most of > the WAND people who would help are in Dunedin for LCA I > beleive. However, there are some good guides online which may > help a bit: > > The advanced bash scripting guide is an excellent resource: > http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/ > Another guide I've suggested at times is here: > http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/unix/bash-tute.html > The RUTE book may help as well http://rute.sf.net/ > > And various WAND/WLUG members have at times run "intro to linux" > tutorials which covered basic bash scripting, but I can't > find the website any more! > > If he's doing some serious file processing, he may find that > a more full-featured programming language such as python > (www.python.org) may be more useful. > > Confused? Excellent...

2 1

help with shell scripting
by David Nicholls 24 Jan '06

24 Jan '06

hi guys, hope everyone has had a good and fun new year. anyway... I have a student up here who is doing Un*x shell scripting (he is learning on the go) to run scientific data files through thier paces and of course get the required output (that goes without saying). anyway, I don't have enough experience to help him, but I was wondering if anyone from up at the uni was around who might be able to give him some time? Please let me know as soon as you can, I'd appreciate heaps. cheers... David Nicholls Computer Support Consultant d.nicholls at waikato.ac.nz School of Science & Engineering / Dept of Chemistry The University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand

3 2