February 2002 - WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Re: [Wlug] apt-get across multiple computers

by Aaron Haviland

Scott Venier said: > On Sun, 17 Feb 2002, David Lee Ludwig wrote: > > > I am currently helping to manage a small network of Linux > > workstations, each of which runs Debian. Given that each workstation > > has a good amount of hard disk space on it, I generally keep software > > installations local. Additionally, most of the software on these > > machines is managed via Debian's apt system. > > > > I'm looking for an easy way to get apt-get functionality across these > > workstations (all run the same version of Debian.) More specifically, > > I want a distributed version of "apt-get install". > > > > Does anyone know of a pre-built set of scripts/tools that will allow > > me to do this, or am I going to have to write my own? > > I don't know of a tool to automagically run 'apt-get install foo' but it > should be easy enough to write using ssh-agent, ssh, and a foreach loop. > > Be sure to setup a local proxy on your network and have apt use it. > There's no point in having every machine download the package from your > debian mirror over your (slower then lan speed) internet connection when > one of them can do it once and the rest can copy it from that one. I've found that keeping /var/cache/apt/archives on only one box, and NFS sharing it with the rest seems to be a good way to "proxy" ... with "apt-proxy" packages still need to be grabbed via HTTP from one box to another. with NFS, there only exists the one archive on one box. Less wasted diskspace. Similarly, I'm wondering if maybe sharing /usr/ among your boxen would work (for the most part) for what I'm guessing you want. Perhaps utilising /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/... taking debconf's example there ...oh hmm. nevermind. I can't seem to see an easy way to invoke preinst/postinst scripts on the other boxen while installing the package on one. (postinst wouldn't be a problem... but preinst would.) -- Aaron Haviland orion [at] tribble [dot] dyndns [dot] org orion [at] parsed [dot] net I blame it on the internet; and the return of swing.

Feb. 18, 2002

Re: [Wlug] reading/writing floppy disk

by Scott Venier

yup. you need to mount and unmount it each time. The kernel can get rather confused if you take out a floppy w/o unmounting it. Scott On Sun, 17 Feb 2002, Gregory Avedissian wrote: > I'm a little confused. Do I have to mount and unmount /dev/fd0 every time I > want to look at a different floppy disk? Is there a less cumbersome way to do > this? Thanks. > > Greg > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

Feb. 18, 2002

Re: [Wlug] apt-get across multiple computers

by Scott Venier

I don't know of a tool to automagically run 'apt-get install foo' but it should be easy enough to write using ssh-agent, ssh, and a foreach loop. Be sure to setup a local proxy on your network and have apt use it. There's no point in having every machine download the package from your debian mirror over your (slower then lan speed) internet connection when one of them can do it once and the rest can copy it from that one. Scott On Sun, 17 Feb 2002, David Lee Ludwig wrote: > I am currently helping to manage a small network of Linux workstations, > each of which runs Debian. Given that each workstation has a good amount > of hard disk space on it, I generally keep software installations local. > Additionally, most of the software on these machines is managed via > Debian's apt system. > > I'm looking for an easy way to get apt-get functionality across these > workstations (all run the same version of Debian.) More specifically, I > want a distributed version of "apt-get install". > > Does anyone know of a pre-built set of scripts/tools that will allow me to > do this, or am I going to have to write my own? > > -- > David Ludwig | "The Linux philosophy is laugh in the face of > davidl<at>wpi.edu | danger. Oops. Wrong One. 'Do it yourself.' > http://www.oflove.com | That's it." - Linus Torvalds > > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

Feb. 18, 2002

ide-scsi

by Gregory Avedissian

I got it to work! In case anyone is interested, here's what it looks like on SuSE 7.2 with cdrom as hdb and cdrw as hdc: After messing around with manually editing lilo.conf with no luck, I finally used yast2 LILO configuration to make a boot floppy and got the boot parameters right. /dev/ram hdb=ide-scsi hdc=ide-scsi ide-cd ignore=hdb ignore=hdc Or, booting with loadlin, the dos batch file contains: c:\windows\smartdrv/c cd \loadlin loadlin vmlinuz /dev/ram rw initrd=c:\loadlin\initrd root=/dev/hda4 ro hdc=ide-scsi hdb=ide-scsi ide-cd ignore=hdc ignore=hdb Below is /etc/lilo.conf Does the reference "BOOT_FILE=/boot/vmlinuz" in the append line of the global section mean that I'll boot that image regardless of my menu choices? If anyone sees any glaring errors or anything that will kill my computer, please let me know. I guess I should try it. As far as I can tell, there's no difference between vmlinuz and vmlinuz.suse, but I suppose I could replace on with a different kernel. I'm going to send this message before I try rebooting. Greg # LILO configuration file # Start LILO global Section # If you want to prevent console users to boot with init=/bin/bash, # restrict usage of boot params by setting a passwd and using the option # restricted. #password=bootpwd #restricted append="BOOT_FILE=/boot/vmlinuz /dev/ram hdb=ide-scsi hdc=ide-scsi ide-cd ignore=hdb ignore=hdc" boot=/dev/fd0 #compact # faster, but won't work on all systems. lba32 vga=normal message=/boot/message menu-scheme=Wg:kw:Wg:Wg read-only prompt timeout=80 # End LILO global Section # image = /boot/vmlinuz root = /dev/hda4 label = linux initrd = /boot/initrd # image = /boot/vmlinuz.suse root = /dev/hda4 label = suse initrd = /boot/initrd.suse optional # other = /dev/hda1 label = windows table = /dev/hda # image = /boot/memtest.bin label = memtest86

Feb. 18, 2002

reading/writing floppy disk

by Gregory Avedissian

I'm a little confused. Do I have to mount and unmount /dev/fd0 every time I want to look at a different floppy disk? Is there a less cumbersome way to do this? Thanks. Greg

Feb. 17, 2002

apt-get across multiple computers

by David Lee Ludwig

I am currently helping to manage a small network of Linux workstations, each of which runs Debian. Given that each workstation has a good amount of hard disk space on it, I generally keep software installations local. Additionally, most of the software on these machines is managed via Debian's apt system. I'm looking for an easy way to get apt-get functionality across these workstations (all run the same version of Debian.) More specifically, I want a distributed version of "apt-get install". Does anyone know of a pre-built set of scripts/tools that will allow me to do this, or am I going to have to write my own? -- David Ludwig | "The Linux philosophy is laugh in the face of davidl<at>wpi.edu | danger. Oops. Wrong One. 'Do it yourself.' http://www.oflove.com | That's it." - Linus Torvalds

Feb. 17, 2002

Re: [Wlug] network questions

by doug waud

"bryon3245(a)netzero.com" wrote: > > What firewall under linux would you suggest, > what would the best way to set up a firewall-router box with two nic's? I suspect this depends upon the distro. I recently upgraded my gateway box from SuSE 6.3 to SuSE 7.2 and found that the default "Personal Firewall" was exactly what I wanted. (I just use the web for browsing and email so all my connections are started by me and so can easily be "masqueraded" --- hidden from the web). It seems to give you essentially the same thing as that Linksys box Steven Daukas (is that a real name?) suggested --- basically masquerading stuff coming from within and blocking anything unrelated from outside. Again, setting up the nic's is the same with all distros if you approach at the under the hood level but will differ if you use their administrative tools since the latter again are distro dependent. In the SuSE case, their Network Manual, pp 149 guides you through reasonably painlessly while still providing some idea of what is going on. Now, all bets are off if you want to provide some service like a web site or ftp server because then you have to do more than just masquerading and that does require you to become more familiar with how a firewall works. As to the two nics, basically you will set up one, say eth0, which is connected to your cable/dsl modem as a dhcp client which will get its ip address from the isp (I assume that, since you are asking a basic question, you did not spring for a fixed ip address which is more expensive; I also assume that you have a broadband connection since you specify two nics). The other nic, say eth1, you set up with a fixed IP address on your local net, for example, 192.168.1.1. If, at this point, your head is swimming, you can either look at the slides from an old WLUG presentation on networking (go to WLUG site, find "Past meeting information" and go to the March 2001, stuff. Slides 47 and 48 give a back to basics summary of the difference between a hub and a switch incidentally) or look into the manual(s) that come with your distro and see if they are as useful as those for SuSE or, get back to me (I suggest directly so we do not clutter the WLUG mail list more than I have been doing lately :-) ) and I am quite willing to try to walk you through the process on a slower one-on-one step-by-step process. The hazards here are that (1) I can easily get in over my head (but, I believe, am willing at least to let you know when that happens) and (2) you may end up wishing as in the Tom Lehrer song "You should never have let me begin ... " :-) doug

Feb. 17, 2002

Re: [Wlug] network questions

by Stephen C. Daukas

I have both hubs and switches and, unless you care about running your own servers and other issues not normally associated with a home network, for example, then you won't notice any difference. Basically, with one or two machines and a cable modem, for example, there is no practical difference in my opinion. Having said that, I have switches because I got three switches at a computer show for less money than a hub would have cost, and I'm running several servers and workstations, and doing a lot of other stuff that isn't necessary, but is fun if you have the stuff to play with... As far as firewalls go, I would recommend buying something like a linksys router/firewall (<$100) if all you care about is getting up and going quickly (if that's what you were asking). I say this only because once you get the router configured, you don't have to bother with it unless you want to go to the next step (which may be a good idea depending on your needs). You don't have to worry about messing anything up while playing with the next kernel release, or whatever. In other words, it is separate from any other activity you may plan for that machine, and safe from any "mistakes" along the way. For those who enjoy the trip, so to speak, or for those who want better control over their firewall, I would get "Linux Firewalls" second edition, by Robert L. Ziegler, and take it from there. It covers packet filtering, iptables, perimiters, NAT, and other useful items. This book will also cover specific questions regarding hardware and software configurations. I started with a Linksys and am building my own firewall now. I plan on using the Linksys as part of the total configuration of my home network - not because I need it, but because I have it and I figure it will be fun to play... (See Paragraph 2). ;-) Regards, Steve At 10:23 PM 2/16/2002, you wrote: >I have a couple of questions. Why would you want a hub over a >switch? What firewall under linux would you suggest, what would the best >way to set up a firewall-router box with two nic's? > >Thanks for you'r help > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >mail2web - Check your email from the web at >http://mail2web.com/ . > >_______________________________________________ >Wlug mailing list >Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org >http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Feb. 17, 2002

Re: [Wlug] network questions

by Charles R. Anderson

A switch also allows you to use Full-Duplex communication on your ethernet cards. When using Full-Duplex, there are no collisions. This is most helpful when a lot of packets are being sent between the computers on the switch, such as when using NFS or X Window System traffic between computers on your LAN. -- Charles R. Anderson <cra(a)wpi.edu> / http://angus.ind.wpi.edu/~cra/ PGP Key ID: 49BB5886 Fingerprint: EBA3 A106 7C93 FA07 8E15 3AC2 C367 A0F9 49BB 5886

Feb. 17, 2002

Re: [Wlug] network questions

by Bill Smith

On Sat, 16 Feb 2002 22:23:26 -0500 "bryon3245(a)netzero.com" <bryon3245(a)netzero.com> wrote: > I have a couple of questions. Why would you want a hub over a switch? a hub is inexpensive. what is seen on one port is (generally) seen on all the others. if security is not an issue and you don't have huge amounts of traffic on your LAN, then a hub is a reasonable choice. switches tend to be a little more expensive because of the nature of their operation. they usually work by learning which ports are used when the computers communicate, so when communication happens after the first time, the information is handled a bit faster. the nice thing here is that once that traffic pattern has been learned, nobody else on the switch sees those packets, unless they are connected to those ports. if you are interested in playing with VLANs, you'll need a switch. there aren't any plain hubs that i am aware of that are smart enough to do more than repeat VLAN packets. Hope this helps... -- +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | William Smith wsmith at chezsmith dot com | | Fall River, MA http://www.chezsmith.com | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows | | everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next. | | * TAG! v2.2 * | +--------------------------------------------------------------+

Feb. 17, 2002