April 2004 - WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Verizon DSL on SuSE

by avedis＠rcn.com

I got set up yesterday with Verizon DSL. I had to boot into windows to do the account activation, and their tech support walked me through it. Once the connection was up, I added a hub and a second computer (with XP - it's not mine, I swear) opened a browser and began surfing. Setting up DSL on SuSE 8.2 was pretty easy, considering I don't really know what I'm doing. Yast setup for a network card and dsl went smoothly. I only had to make one file edit, to designate eth0 in pppoe.conf, rebooted the computer and then could surf, with download speeds up to 1.7M/s. I even got my firewall working with the new connection, but two things seems to have changed. SuSEfirewall2 was set not to accept pings, and it looks like it's still set that way, but Gibson Research's port scanning utility can ping me. The other thing is that before, I had to manually enter commands (iptables) to drop packets to port 119 to put it into "stealth" mode. Now, I don't have to do that, as it already appears stealthed. Can anyone explain either of these phenomena? Greg

April 8, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Martin, Eric

That's where I am now. Heck I'll even settle for being able to coax it out of the user, along with processor and RAM info...but some people you can't even get that far. (Yes all my windows are closed, it's Winter!!!) Eric -----Original Message----- From: Bill Smith [mailto:wsmith@chezsmith.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 3:29 PM To: Worcester Linux Users Group Subject: Re: [Wlug] Re: WLUG IRC anywhere? On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 09:06:51 -0400 "Martin, Eric" <MartinE(a)worc.k12.ma.us> wrote: > Here Here!!! Granted I've gotten into a debate with a friend of mine and > have slowly came to the conclusion that not everybody needs to know > *everything* about a computer to work one, but directories and applications > are a good start :) Worst one is when you ask and aol user for their email > addy, and they tell you HappyGoLucky127 (generally you can just assume the > @aol.com) I'll take that.... trying to know the why's and wherefore's of a computer before using one is like trying to know the intimate details of how a car works before driving one. all i ask from a user is that s/he know enough about the system they are using so that if i ask "what OS are you using?", i don't get a blank look. (i've gotten a lot of them, believe me.) -- William Smith wsmith(a)chezsmith.com Fall River, MA _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

April 8, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Bill Smith

On Wed, 07 Apr 2004 16:14:44 -0400 Bob George <mailings02(a)ttlexceeded.com> wrote: > Yes, it was very weird. Unfortunately, he was buddies with the guy who > ran the server, and since it wasn't LUG "official" (sort of like WLUG's > current) he couldn't be de-op'ed. <shaking head> there's more than one way to skin a cat. > > before being allowed onto the 'Net. something BASIC (<ahem> pun > > intended), > > Hmm... am I dating myself when I admit that I remember when computers > actually ran BASIC? <g> we can start a discussion of "i remember when..." statements, but i think it will quickly disintegrate into a pissing contest. ;) > > maybe a test of some sort... "What is the difference between a hard > > drive and a floppy drive? (holding up a 3.5" floppy) Which one is > > THIS?" > > Hold up a 5 1/4" floppy and watch 'em glaze over. :) imagine the look when i show 'em one of my 8" floppies! :) "Huh? I didn't know they made 'em THAT big!" :D > I agree at a general level, but cringe when I think what our dear ol' > government might consider "proper credentials." Visions of lobbyists and > special interests sticking all sorts of propaganda in, politically > correct, sensitive questions, and the like. "RAM" and "hard drive" > deemed hostile, "RBLs" deemed discriminatory, "cache" deemed > discriminatory to the financially challenged. I might fail whatever they > manage to concoct. i try not to put anything past the government, but i really doubt that they would be able to implement any sort of qualification list on computer users at this stage of the Game... they'd have to require the general populace to pass a test to buy a blender... (come to think of it, maybe that wouldn't be a /bad/ thing... <g>) > Then again, maybe I'm just too cynical. They've managed to institute a > series of tests and checks to ensure that anybody taking to our roads is > well-versed in the rules, and able to operate their vehicle properly, right? it's been a while since you drove on Route 128 in rush hour, hasn't it? <gd&r> > > <shrug> some days, i just want to pull out my Apple IIgs and stick > > to THAT. ...then i realize how slow it is, compared to my current > > system. :) > > I do want to get my old Apple (the REAL apple, not that Mac impostor!) > hooked up to my Linux box someday, maybe doing something "useful" like > 'tail -f' on log files. the easiest way i have found for that is to rig a serial connection to the Linux box (serial cable and a null modem) and use the Apple II as a dumb terminal. I've seen getty configurations for getting the Apple to play nice, and it worked like a champ about five years ago, when i played with it... other than that, there are ethernet cards one can buy for about $200 (!), but that's not happening in my house for a long while. i'd /love/ to have the space for GNO/ME, though... it's a unix-ish overlay for GS/OS. :D -- William Smith wsmith(a)chezsmith.com Fall River, MA

April 7, 2004

Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Bob George

Martin, Eric wrote: > [...] Worst one is when you ask and aol user for their email addy, > and they tell you HappyGoLucky127 (generally you can just assume the > @aol.com) Erm... there ARE other email systems out there. They're not WRONG, just on today's Internet. - Bob (formerly 75730.2030 on CI$)

April 7, 2004

Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Bob George

Bill Smith wrote: > [...] let's see if i got this right: a guy volunteered to design a > website for a LUG and insisted on using M$-specific tools. ummm... Yes, it was very weird. Unfortunately, he was buddies with the guy who ran the server, and since it wasn't LUG "official" (sort of like WLUG's current) he couldn't be de-op'ed. > [...] at the risk of sounding technocratic, i think a person should > have some level of functionality I too advocate human functionality :) > before being allowed onto the 'Net. something BASIC (<ahem> pun > intended), Hmm... am I dating myself when I admit that I remember when computers actually ran BASIC? > maybe a test of some sort... "What is the difference between a hard > drive and a floppy drive? (holding up a 3.5" floppy) Which one is > THIS?" Hold up a 5 1/4" floppy and watch 'em glaze over. :) I agree at a general level, but cringe when I think what our dear ol' government might consider "proper credentials." Visions of lobbyists and special interests sticking all sorts of propaganda in, politically correct, sensitive questions, and the like. "RAM" and "hard drive" deemed hostile, "RBLs" deemed discriminatory, "cache" deemed discriminatory to the financially challenged. I might fail whatever they manage to concoct. Then again, maybe I'm just too cynical. They've managed to institute a series of tests and checks to ensure that anybody taking to our roads is well-versed in the rules, and able to operate their vehicle properly, right? > <shrug> some days, i just want to pull out my Apple IIgs and stick > to THAT. ...then i realize how slow it is, compared to my current > system. :) I do want to get my old Apple (the REAL apple, not that Mac impostor!) hooked up to my Linux box someday, maybe doing something "useful" like 'tail -f' on log files. I could still stand a game of Karateka once in a while. :) - Bob

April 7, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Bill Smith

On Wed, 7 Apr 2004 09:06:51 -0400 "Martin, Eric" <MartinE(a)worc.k12.ma.us> wrote: > Here Here!!! Granted I've gotten into a debate with a friend of mine and > have slowly came to the conclusion that not everybody needs to know > *everything* about a computer to work one, but directories and applications > are a good start :) Worst one is when you ask and aol user for their email > addy, and they tell you HappyGoLucky127 (generally you can just assume the > @aol.com) I'll take that.... trying to know the why's and wherefore's of a computer before using one is like trying to know the intimate details of how a car works before driving one. all i ask from a user is that s/he know enough about the system they are using so that if i ask "what OS are you using?", i don't get a blank look. (i've gotten a lot of them, believe me.) -- William Smith wsmith(a)chezsmith.com Fall River, MA

April 7, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Re: WLUG IRC anywhere?

by Bill Smith

On Tue, 06 Apr 2004 10:59:32 -0400 Bob George <mailings02(a)ttlexceeded.com> wrote: > For our poor little IRC channel, it was particularly bad. This kid had > joined the LUG list, and offered to do all kinds of web development etc. > with the hopes he'd get some free advertising for his "big business > venture." No problem there, but he proceeded to rant on-list about > wanting to use ASP etc., arguing against open-source content management > tools as "boring." let's see if i got this right: a guy volunteered to design a website for a LUG and insisted on using M$-specific tools. ummm... > That carried over to the IRC channel, and he'd essentially scare off any > potential Linux converts with his lousy attitude. that's not Good. > We'd best watch it, or they'll start mandating the equivalent of > seatbelt and helmet laws for computers. I agree that users should be > responsible, but I don't want the government dictating how "safe" > software should be developed. I like the idea of an INFORMED user base. at the risk of sounding technocratic, i think a person should have some level of functionality before being allowed onto the 'Net. something BASIC (<ahem> pun intended), maybe a test of some sort... "What is the difference between a hard drive and a floppy drive? (holding up a 3.5" floppy) Which one is THIS?" <shrug> some days, i just want to pull out my Apple IIgs and stick to THAT. ...then i realize how slow it is, compared to my current system. :) -- William Smith wsmith(a)chezsmith.com Fall River, MA

April 7, 2004

Re: [Wlug] 64 bit architechture

by Karl Hiramoto

my deskdtop has Kernel 2.4.22 and the config has processor options for AMD64. You might be best though with a 2.6.X kernel though I'm running 2.6.3 in gentoo-dev-sources now on my laptop, and it is going very well. > Greetings all; > > Sorry i've not been able to attend the meetings in a while... still trying > to get past some health problems... > > can any one tell me which kernel version would be suitable for a machine > with 64 bit architechture? > > thanx in advance > > dave goss > > assimulation is futile > > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > -- Karl Hiramoto <karl(a)hiramoto.org> Work: 978-425-2090 ext 25 Cell: 508-517-4819 Personal web page: http://karl.hiramoto.org/ AOL IM ID = KarlH420 Yahoo_IM = karl_hiramoto

April 7, 2004

Re: [Wlug] 64 bit architechture

by Gregory Boyce

64 bit architectures have been supported for a rather long time in Linux, depending on the arch. If you're compiling a new kernel, I would suggest the 2.6 series (2.6.5 is the current version). It has a lot of improvements and is much speedier. I'm not sure which 64 bit arch you're talking about, but you may need patches to get the kernel fully stable. There are seperate sets of PPC/PPC64, Alpha and Sparc64 patches. There are probably some out there for ia64 (Itanium) and x86-64 (Athlon64) as well. On Fri, 2004-04-02 at 10:57, David Goss wrote: > Greetings all; > > Sorry i've not been able to attend the meetings in a while... still trying > to get past some health problems... > > can any one tell me which kernel version would be suitable for a machine > with 64 bit architechture? > > thanx in advance > > dave goss > > assimulation is futile > > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

April 7, 2004

Re: [Wlug] 64 bit architechture

by Gary Hanley

Well the obvious question is, "Which architecture?" I hope it's not Itanic. :-) If it's AMD64, I suspect Gentoo may be preferable. I plan on splurging on the new AMD chip in the near future and have also been trying to decide which distro to use. Any other architecture, sorry, I have no idea. -- Gary On Fri, 2 Apr 2004, David Goss wrote: > can any one tell me which kernel version would be suitable for a machine > with 64 bit architechture?

April 7, 2004