- wlug - list.wlug.org.nz

Re: [wlug] Apache as Backup
by Oliver Jones 12 Jul '01

12 Jul '01

> If you wanted to have a redundant machine on the same network then it would > work easily as you can probably can configure the local router if and when > the main server goes down. You could easily have a something monitoring the > system and if a machine goes down reroute its packets to an other machine > that is configured to accept them if such problems arise. Alternatively you can just buy redundant links from different uplink ISP's and have your redundent webserver inhouse. Later -- Oliver Jones - oliver(a)deeper.co.nz - Mobile: +64-21-41-2238 - Deeper Design Limited - http://www.deeperdesign.com ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] Computers as tools
by Daniel Lawson 05 Jul '01

05 Jul '01

> People don't like to learn new things and expect the "perfect" software to > guess what they are trying to do and do it for them. (shades of XP?) > However to those of us who who know what we are doing such application > behaviour is obtrusive and annoying. This is another large HCI issue. How do you make an interface which is "intuitive" and "user-friendly" so that even a person who has never experienced a similar system before, be able to use it without any form of training; AND make sure that the same interface doesn't get in the way of someone who has been using it for a while? For simple programs, this is no big deal. For complex programs, it is. MS tried to solve this in office2k by hiding options that weren't used often. For a new user, the menus are sparse. There is nothing to confuse them. Experienced users can still navigate their way round and get the required functionality. Lets not mention the problems caused to new users when office decides something isn't used much any more and hides the item from the menu ;) > As far as learning new tools, such as lisp, emacs, or sendmail rewrite rules I > have one teeny problem. I kind of don't like learning legacy, ready to die, > non progressive languages for the sake of maintaining legacy applications. I > would put sendmail in that category. I think its concept is way to clumsy. I > would like to see something a bit more logical and more closely related to the > problem domain rather than idiosyncratic syntax. emacs and lisp are not 'legacy' I cant use ms office at uni - no win32 boxes. I refuse to use staroffice because its a pain in the ass, huge, and mimics a win32 desktop - which is REALLY annoying in linux. I use emacs instead, it does everything I want, and it does it better than the office suites would have. And it has tetris :). sendmail, well... > However I think languages like Java are a good idea. I think any kind of RAD > tool is a good idea. I think languages that create a better representation of > the problem that they are modelling are a good idea. I just don't like > seeing old technology hanging on past its use by date because it's "tried and > proven". There is a big difference between continuing to support legacy apps because they are already implemented in a production system, and implementing a legacy app in a new system. By all means, when rolling out a new mailserver, use exim or postfix or qmail, or whatever you prefer. I think if you tried to replace a legacy sendmail server in a large network you'd create far more problems and spend far more time than it would have taken to have learned how to use sendmail to the point you can fix the problem. > Yes, we should be willing to learn, if its progress. As long as its not COBOL. > ;) Even if its not progress, we should be willing to learn. How much of the software / it consultant industry in the 90's was to do with "Y2K bugs" ? Which could all fall under the domain of 'legacy applications'. COBOL's another kettle of fish entirely ;) (although, a good deal of aforementioned 'y2k bugs' would have been for cobol systems) Daniel ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] Computers as tools
by Martin Baehr 05 Jul '01

05 Jul '01

On Thu, Jul 05, 2001 at 02:56:21PM +1200, Daniel Lawson wrote: > Why do people object to learning how to use a technology? you missunderstand. there is a difference in learning something you will use every day vs. learning something you will use only once. there is absolutely no problem to learn how to use emacs. i only do not want to have to learn how to configure it. > Do you have the same expectation of a car? That you can jump in and use it > straight away, without prior knowledge of cars? the expense and time to learn to drive is one reason why i don't. (environmental issues are the other) people learn to drive because they are forced to. > They adopt a 'its too hard' or a 'I dont have time' attitude. This is very > apparent with computers, rather than other technological advances. A lot > of people will quite happily learn how to use a VCR, DVD player, advanced > TV controls on their flash new 100HZ Philips TV, whatever. Yet they will > balk, or even be 'unable' to learn a computer program interface that > doesn't have pretty colours and isn't inherently obvious from a casual > glance. you are ignoring that the complexity of a computer differs by several magnitudes from those other devices you mentioned. and also there are a lot of people out there who have no clue how to use those devices. in order to type text a computer needs to come down to the complexity of a typewriter. The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw by accepting computers the way they are now, you are standing in the way of progress. i do not want to adapt to the computer. nuff said. greetings, martin. -- by the end of 2001 i'd like to find a new job anywhere in the world, doing pike development and/or training and/or unix and roxen system administration. -- pike programmer Traveling in New Zealand (www|db).hb2.tuwien.ac.at unix (iaeste|bahai).or.at (www.archlab|iaeste).tuwien.ac.at systemadministrator (stuts|black.linux-m68k).org mud.at is.(schon.org|root.at) Martin B"ahr http://www.iaeste.or.at/~mbaehr/ ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message. ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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RE: [wlug] More Grrrr....
by James Spooner 03 Jul '01

03 Jul '01

Isn't that A.Thrift? -----Original Message----- From: owner-wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz [mailto:owner-wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz] On Behalf Of Greig McGill Sent: Monday, July 02, 2001 1:19 PM To: wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz Subject: [wlug] More Grrrr.... > Hi. This is the qmail-send program at paradise.net.nz. > I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses. > This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out. > > <linuxbox(a)paradise.net.nz>: > Sorry, no mailbox here by that name. (#5.1.1) Anyone know this critter? I've unsubbed it. Hmmm...I wonder if there's an award for BLOFH! ;) Greig McGill RHCE Systems Engineer, Compel Automation Ltd. Ph. +64 7 838 3747 Fax. +64 7 838 3737 Network Engineer - Linux solutions specialist. ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message. ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] [Fwd: FW: Microsoft restrictions on EULA for Mobile Internet Toolkit]
by Greig McGill 22 Jun '01

22 Jun '01

Actually - we do, but it's huge, clunky, and it's Word doc type "compatibility" is a joke. A lot of people say that, and I always wonder if they've ever tried using it on a daily basis in a corporate environment. Plus, it's no fun trying to wean all the MS lovers (well, they like Office) here off of it! And spellcheck is broken...and...and...<<endless stream of bitching about SO>> Greig McGill RHCE Systems Engineer, Compel Automation Ltd. Ph. +64 7 838 3747 Fax. +64 7 838 3737 Network Engineer - Linux solutions specialist. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Oliver Jones" <oliver(a)deeper.co.nz> To: <wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz> Sent: Friday, June 22, 2001 4:23 PM Subject: Re: [wlug] [Fwd: FW: Microsoft restrictions on EULA for Mobile Internet Toolkit] > > > Oi! But here at work I NEED to use M$ apps... :( > > Well, actually I don't, but I choose to so as to make life easier for my > > co-workers! :) > > You could use star office. :) > > -- > Oliver Jones - oliver(a)deeper.co.nz - Mobile: +64-21-41-2238 > - Deeper Design Limited - http://www.deeperdesign.com > ------------ > WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group > WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz > To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message. > ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] Help with installing linux?
by Glenn Reed 20 Jun '01

20 Jun '01

Personally I think a 486 would be too slow to run the latest software out there well. X-Windows with KDE or Gnome would be a tad slow. Anyone else on the list like to offer what they think is the minimum spec for a decent linux system running desktop type software? What kind of system do you have currently, in terms of available hard drive space and RAM, etc? Regards Glenn. On Wed, 20 Jun 2001, you wrote: > Any Linux bods in Cambridge that could assist in setting up > linux? Am a new user and my first attempt at loading Redhat 7.1 > stuffed my Windows 98 system up complexly. I want to be able to > run both to try things out. I want to put linux on a 486 if > possible. > > Many thanks > ============================= > Grant Nicklin > 75 Princes Street, Cambridge > Ph (07) 827-4167, Fax (07) 827-4965 > > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com) > Version: 6.0.262 / Virus Database: 132 - Release Date: 6/12/01 > > ------------ > WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group > WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz > To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz > with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn Reed email: glenn.r(a)ihug.co.nz New Zealand web: http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/g.reed/ -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] Next Meet
by Chris Martin 31 May '01

31 May '01

>> Going from Redhat/Mandrake to Debian is quite a steep jump, Debian >> isn't anywhere near as easy to set up, although its package management >> system (apt) is nicer than RPM. Progeny Debian and Storm Linux are >> more user-friendly versions of Debian. Stormix have gone out of business >> last I heard, but Progeny is still around. I can make copies of the two >> Progeny binary CDs if you like, I don't plan on installing it myself for another >> couple of weeks yet since I need compatibility with the lab machines at uni >> until the end of the semester (so I'm running Slackware 7.0). > >Ewww slackware... evil. ;) It's actually pretty nice, if you don't plan on upgrading things too often ;-) It's a good way to familiarise yourself with the internals of the OS tho. >I'm personally of the opinion that although apt-get is quite convienient >it has potentially large security flaws. Or at least it appears to >have. Though I'm not experienced enough with debian to give a >definiative statement in that regard. I'm still sticking to RedHat as >I've not seen anything in debian to really convince me to jump ship. Installing binary RPMs isn't that safe either, is it? Unless you plan on installing from source, and studying it in detail, every time you install a program, you have to take a leap of faith regardless of your package management system. The apt system seems pretty well-regulated, not like someone could sneak in a nasty new version of the Gimp that sends all your pictures to the Church of Scientology. ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Mandrake 8 d2
by kerriny＠paradise.net.nz 31 May '01

31 May '01

Does anyone have Mandrake 8 disk 2? I have painstakingly downloaded disk one, however would like to experiment with the firewalls on the second disk. If anyone can help, could you please drop me a line. Thanks, Kerrin ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group WWW: http://wlug.linuxcare.co.nz To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] kmail and netscape nav problem
by Oliver Jones 02 May '01

02 May '01

> Nearly all linux email clients will function in "offline" mode if you > configure them to do so. > Another way to do it is set up your local system as a mail server - I use a > sendmail/fetchmail combo, and have your client talk to that. That way ALL > mail is technically offline, until you trigger a mailqueue run with > sendmail -q. > > To answer your need for Outlook Express - I'd heap scorn, but guess what I'm > using here at work :) - try evolution from helixcode. >From Ximian boy, Ximian. ;) Also Evolution (last time I looked) really wasn't stable enough). And it hates my Cyrus IMAPD. :( Later -- Oliver Jones - oliver(a)deeper.co.nz - Mobile: +64-21-41-2238 - Deeper Design Limited - http://www.deeperdesign.com ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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Re: [wlug] LDAP
by Oliver Jones 07 Apr '01

07 Apr '01

> my /etc/default/useradd has a 'GROUP' value of 100, yet useradd assigns a > per-user group of gid > 500 and assigns that to the user? Or is that > actually standard practise? That is because of /etc/login.defs which is used. It specifies more detail than /etc/defaults/useradd. You will notice that group 100 is the group users. The lowest group an user should be a member of. I'm not sure if you're added to that group by default tho. > Or, of course, have redhat patched useradd. > > > [oliver] duality:/usr/sbin$ ls -la adduser > > lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Feb 17 19:08 adduser -> > > useradd* > > sure. In that case, you *still* need to provide a wrapper to magically > determine whether to update the ldap store or the system files, or to > provide a new useradd to replace the old one. If you're using ldap to store site wide information that information should only be about human users. "System" (mysql, bin, root, mail) users should probably be in /etc/passwd. They rarely have passwords (except root) anyway. Also if that sort of info wasn't stored in reliable places (ie, in a file) you could stop your system from booting or functioning by DoS'ing slapd or having an incorrect configuration. Even if slapd crashed you could log in as root and restart it. PAM allows for fall back authentication. Later -- Oliver Jones - oliver(a)deeper.co.nz - Mobile: +64-21-41-2238 - Deeper Design Limited - http://www.deeperdesign.com ------------ WLUG - The Waikato Linux Users Group To unsubscribe, send an email to majordomo(a)list.waikato.ac.nz with "unsubscribe wlug" in the body of the message.

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