March 2002 - WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Re: [Wlug] RE: [WPILA-Discuss] Gentoo Linux Distro

by Charles R. Anderson

On Thu, Mar 14, 2002 at 01:40:34AM -0500, Aaron Haviland wrote: orion> > Just install pentium-builder, set the environment variable like it orion> > says to, and apt-get -b source <package> away! orion> orion> Well, hot damn. you're my new hero! Now I can still build optimised orion> local .debs and make non-optimised redistributable ones without messy orion> tweaking! RPM has had the ability to build for different architectures and optimize based on them since the beginning: rpm --rebuild --target=i386,i586,i686 foo.src.rpm Each distro includes RPM configuration files to define the build environment for that distro, including the optimization flags to use: optflags: i386 -O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686 optflags: i486 -O2 -march=i486 optflags: i586 -O2 -march=i586 optflags: i686 -O2 -march=i686 optflags: athlon -O2 -march=athlon optflags: ia64 -O2 They are usually passed to configure/make by setting variables in the .spec file (so you don't need to patch Makefiles): CC=$RPM_OPT_FLAGS ./configure make or even better, by using these macros, which will also cause the package to place all its files in the standard places that the distro has defined in the local RPM build environment (i.e., /usr/doc vs. /usr/share/doc): %configure make %makeinstall That way, when configure tests the compiler, it can be sure the compiler works with those optflags. Also, it doesn't require klugy scripts to override the compiler binary, etc., and can be used by any user, not just root (perhaps pentium-builder can too, I don't know). -- 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

March 14, 2002

Re: [Wlug] docs / latex /?

by Frank Sweetser

On Thu, Mar 14, 2002 at 08:26:48AM -0500, Bill Mills-Curran wrote: > Some years ago, I was a heavy Latex user, but it's been a while... > I've heard rumors that it now has a WYSIWYG interface. Is this true? There's LyX, which isn't half bad, but sometimes takes a little kicking to do odd things, and has it's own file format which is almost, but not quite, TeX. There's a few emacs packages for LaTeX (find 'em on freshmeat - I forget the names at the moment) that are supposed to give you a good inline preview. -- Frank Sweetser fs at wpi.edu, fs at suave.net | $ x 18 Full-time WPI Network Tech, Part time Linux/Perl guy | I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough. Let's go west.' --Richard Jeni

March 14, 2002

docs / latex /?

by Bill Mills-Curran

I need to generate some documents that look decent on the web and also print well. Some of the documents are forms for people to fill in, and, for the most part, the people are pretty unsophisticated. They may even just print the form and fill it in by hand. Some years ago, I was a heavy Latex user, but it's been a while... I've heard rumors that it now has a WYSIWYG interface. Is this true? At any rate, I'm looking for recommendations of something that can produce decent html (most word processors generate abysmal html) and decent printable stuff. (It would be very cool if I could produce the pdf "fill in the blanks" document.) Right now, I'm painfully generating the html in xemacs (very clean html) and then postscript and non-editable pdf from that. I've heard that docbook is good, but that it has a high learning curve. Suggestions? TIA, Bill

March 14, 2002

Re: [Wlug] RE: [WPILA-Discuss] Gentoo Linux Distro

by Aaron Haviland

Josh Huber said: > Aaron Haviland <orion(a)tribble.dyndns.org> writes: > > > apt-get source <package> && cd <package>-* && dpkg-buildpackage > > -rfakeroot -us -uc > > > > ... but iirc, it's not really optimised. to do that, you need to rebuild > > certain packages without certain tweaks that debian throws in. something > > about enabling certain i586 stuff, but still making them work on i386? > > (which is why all the debs say i386 instead of iX86) > > Well, for most of the optimizations, a very simple change can be made: > > $> apt-cache show pentium-builder > Package: pentium-builder > Priority: extra > Section: devel > Installed-Size: 80 > Maintainer: Alex Pennace <alex(a)pennace.org> > Architecture: all > Version: 0.17 > Depends: gcc | g++, perl > Filename: pool/main/p/pentium-builder/pentium-builder_0.17_all.deb > Size: 6604 > MD5sum: 25fd685abdcfd1e0ec6efc92a8d3e801 > Description: force pentium optimized compilation > Replaces gcc, cc, and g++ with scripts that build pentium optimized code. > (Other processors can be optimized for as well.) > . > By default, after installing this package, the compilers will behave > normally. However, if the environment variable DEBIAN_BUILDARCH=pentium > is set, they will enter pentium optimized compile mode. > > Just install pentium-builder, set the environment variable like it > says to, and apt-get -b source <package> away! Well, hot damn. you're my new hero! Now I can still build optimised local .debs and make non-optimised redistributable ones without messy tweaking! -- Aaron Haviland orion [at] tribble [dot] dyndns [dot] org orion [at] parsed [dot] net

March 14, 2002

Re: [Wlug] RE: [WPILA-Discuss] Gentoo Linux Distro

by Josh Huber

Aaron Haviland <orion(a)tribble.dyndns.org> writes: > apt-get source <package> && cd <package>-* && dpkg-buildpackage > -rfakeroot -us -uc > > ... but iirc, it's not really optimised. to do that, you need to rebuild > certain packages without certain tweaks that debian throws in. something > about enabling certain i586 stuff, but still making them work on i386? > (which is why all the debs say i386 instead of iX86) Well, for most of the optimizations, a very simple change can be made: $> apt-cache show pentium-builder Package: pentium-builder Priority: extra Section: devel Installed-Size: 80 Maintainer: Alex Pennace <alex(a)pennace.org> Architecture: all Version: 0.17 Depends: gcc | g++, perl Filename: pool/main/p/pentium-builder/pentium-builder_0.17_all.deb Size: 6604 MD5sum: 25fd685abdcfd1e0ec6efc92a8d3e801 Description: force pentium optimized compilation Replaces gcc, cc, and g++ with scripts that build pentium optimized code. (Other processors can be optimized for as well.) . By default, after installing this package, the compilers will behave normally. However, if the environment variable DEBIAN_BUILDARCH=pentium is set, they will enter pentium optimized compile mode. Just install pentium-builder, set the environment variable like it says to, and apt-get -b source <package> away! ttyl, -- Josh Huber

March 14, 2002

Re: [Wlug] Win2k and Linux

by Charles R. Anderson

On Wed, Mar 13, 2002 at 09:39:29PM -0500, Tim Trachimowicz wrote: track> I've never had a problem using LILO to dual boot Win98 and RH 6.2 (then track> 7.2), but I'm a little intimidated by Win2k and it's boot loader. Sure, there is no problem with using LILO and the Win2K bootloader at the same time. You can just delete the FAT32 partition on drive 2, install Linux, and install the LILO bootloader on drive 1's MBR. LILO is smart enough to be able to boot kernels from the second drive, and it will also be able to boot up the Win2K bootloader which will bring up its menu as usual. -- 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

March 14, 2002

Win2k and Linux

by Tim Trachimowicz

Hey folks, I'm working on setting up a dual boot system with the following drive setup: Drive 1 - 6gb IDE Partition 1 (4gb) - Win2k NTFS (c:) Partition 2 (2gb) - Scratch FAT32 (e:) Drive 2 - 3gb IDE Partition 1 (3gb) - FAT32 (d:) (This is where I want to install RH 7.2) I've never had a problem using LILO to dual boot Win98 and RH 6.2 (then 7.2), but I'm a little intimidated by Win2k and it's boot loader. I've tried Google and a few other places for info, but a lot of it seems to focus in installing the two OS's on a single large disk with multiple partitions. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? I am free to wipe/partition any or all of the disks and start fresh if that makes sense. I have read some info about making a boot partition, but again, it wasn't very clear to me... Any websites, FAQs or personal insight is appreciated. Thanks in advance! --Track

March 14, 2002

Re: [Wlug] I'm possessed -- sound stuff

by Bill Mills-Curran

I have an explanation. Apparently I did something to gaim to make it start using sounds to announce "buddies" signing on and leaving. I have no idea what triggered gaim to start doing this. Bill

March 13, 2002

Re: [Wlug] I'm possessed -- sound stuff

by doug waud

Hi Bill Mills-Curran wrote: > > This is very weird... My linux box has just started making sounds -- As a pharmacologist, the first thing that comes to mind is whether you might have been feeding it beans. You may want to check out http://www.beano.net/ Incidentally, the veterinary product is called "Cur-tail" :-) doug

March 13, 2002

I'm possessed -- sound stuff

by Bill Mills-Curran

This is very weird... My linux box has just started making sounds -- stuff like little sound card samples. It has done about 6 sounds in the past 30 minutes. The only action I have taken since logging in this morning is to look at some web pages. I've "finger-ed" and "last-ed", but there is no evidence of co-workers getting cute with me. I did see one thing in the system log: Mar 13 08:13:21 pent584 kernel: ad1816: Analog Devices AD1816A detected Mar 13 08:13:21 pent584 kernel: ad1816: ISAPnP reports 'Analog Devices AD1816A' at i/o 0x500, irq 5, dma 1, 3 Mar 13 08:13:21 pent584 kernel: ad1816: AD1816 sounddriver Copyright (C) 1998 by Thorsten Knabe Mar 13 08:13:21 pent584 kernel: ad1816: io=0x500, irq=5, dma=1, dma2=3, clockfre q=33000, options=0 isadmabug=0 Mar 13 08:13:21 pent584 modprobe: modprobe: Can't locate module sound-service-0- 3 Mar 13 08:38:25 pent584 kernel: ad1816: Analog Devices AD1816A detected Mar 13 08:38:25 pent584 kernel: ad1816: ISAPnP reports 'Analog Devices AD1816A' at i/o 0x500, irq 5, dma 1, 3 Mar 13 08:38:25 pent584 kernel: ad1816: AD1816 sounddriver Copyright (C) 1998 by Thorsten Knabe Mar 13 08:38:25 pent584 kernel: ad1816: io=0x500, irq=5, dma=1, dma2=3, clockfre q=33000, options=0 isadmabug=0 Mar 13 08:38:25 pent584 modprobe: modprobe: Can't locate module sound-service-0- 3 These messages appear only one other time in my system logs. Oh, one other thing... I did mount an NT share on my box yesterday. (I don't suspect this, but might as well tell everything.) Any ideas? Thanks, Bill

March 13, 2002