February 2007 - WLUG - wlug.mailman3.com

Re: [Wlug] interesting backups problem

by Adam Keck

Perhaps... 1. Copy off a chunk of it with a split-like tool (dd may do the trick with "seek") or some code. Make the chunk small enough such that the chunk copy and the compressed version of the chunk will fit in 30GB. 2. Compress the chunk. 3. Truncate the chunk off of the disk image. 4. Repeat. It's risky, though, since the original file gets altered. -Adam On 2/18/07, Eric Stein <eastein(a)wpi.edu> wrote: > > Hi all, > > I've got an interesting issue with disk usage. I have a hard disk image > (from dd) stored on a server, and it needs to be compressed it to make > room for other data. The image is 160 GB, but I only have 30 GB of free > space to work with; the data isn't compressible enough to fit in 30 GB > in the meantime. I don't need the image right now and having only a > compressed copy is perfectly fine. How can I compress the image while > simultaneously deleting the old data? I can think of a way to do it > using perl, dd, and some other tools, but I'd much prefer to do it the > "right" way if there is one. > > Eric > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > -- -Adam

Feb. 19, 2007

Re: [Wlug] switch distros???

by Bruce Linnell

Bill, I've been a Linux user for less than a month now, so take this with a grain of salt. In my search for a distro, I first tried Gentoo and Ubuntu, and finally installed openSuSE. Its a large distro (5 CDs, or 1 DVD), so you may have space considerations. For me, anyway, its been more user friendly than the others - YaST is a blast...lol. I think the key here as far as your family goes is to use the same distro for all, and that should be the one you are happiest with, because in the final analysis its going to be you at the help desk while they climb the learning curve. Is there enough room on your son's box to set it up for dual booting? Just a thought... Good luck, Bruce On Sat, 2007-02-17 at 17:00 -0500, Bill Mills-Curran wrote: > I have an opportunity to get my wife to consider switching from > Windows to linux, but I don't think Fedora is the right distro for > her. I'm wondering about Linspire/Freespire (Freespire is to Linspire > as Fedora is to RedHat?) or Ubuntu. (I've been using Redhat & Fedora > since '98.) I've also been frustrated at some of the compatibility > problems (like wireless) with Fedora, so I'm considering switching, > too. On the other hand, I like being able to get some of the newest > apps, like the newest gnucash, on Fedora. > > Eric Raymond's recent piece on Slashdot was pretty convincing, too. > He argued that it is good for the linux open/free community to get > linux in as many places as possible, even if it means mixing the > distros with commercial drivers, because linux needs more market share > in order to succeed against windows, particularly as 64-bit comes on > the scene. > > The "family license" of Linspire seems pretty attractive, too. > > A big win would be to get my 17 yr old son off windows. He's forever > infecting the windows box with junk from his web surfing. > > My most-used apps: > Open office > Tetex/latex > ps utils > gnucash > mutt > VPN (compatible with my work, which uses Cisco) > wine > perl > firefox > USB devices: scanner, drive, camera > code development utils > multimedia (not so good on Fedora) > gpg > > My wife would like to use Publisher (windows). She might be able to > use Scribus (I haven't used it successfully). > Her favorites: > AOL (I can't break her loose of this) > MS office apps > > Suggestions? > > Thanks, > Bill > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

Feb. 19, 2007

interesting backups problem

by Eric Stein

Hi all, I've got an interesting issue with disk usage. I have a hard disk image (from dd) stored on a server, and it needs to be compressed it to make room for other data. The image is 160 GB, but I only have 30 GB of free space to work with; the data isn't compressible enough to fit in 30 GB in the meantime. I don't need the image right now and having only a compressed copy is perfectly fine. How can I compress the image while simultaneously deleting the old data? I can think of a way to do it using perl, dd, and some other tools, but I'd much prefer to do it the "right" way if there is one. Eric

Feb. 19, 2007

Re: [Wlug] Update

by Eric Stein

Hi Bruce, At my apartment there are 3 Linux desktops and 4 Windows machines. My fileserver downstairs also acts as a CUPS/Samba printserver (it runs Gentoo Linux). If you are using Gentoo, you can use these directions to configure this: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Native_Windows_Printing_with_CUPS/Samba Otherwise, I don't know. I'm sure doing the same is possible on other distros as well. Please note that your wife may be disagreeable to having printing not working at all for a day or so while you wrestle with cups and samba, so I don't know how helpful this info is. Eric Put Bruce Linnell wrote: > My wife complained because she couldn't print something from her > computer. I checked it out and found the print queue populated with the > test pages I had tried to print from the Linux box. > > So the good news is that the pages are making it to the printer, and the > bad news is that they are still not being printed. In fact, I could not > cancel the first job. I had to reboot to clear the queue. Which then let > my wife print her job. > > When I again tried to print, the printer made noises like it was going > to start, but then just stalled again. Another reboot for me, and an > update for the list. > > Anyone know of a possible fix? > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

Feb. 19, 2007

Update

by Bruce Linnell

My wife complained because she couldn't print something from her computer. I checked it out and found the print queue populated with the test pages I had tried to print from the Linux box. So the good news is that the pages are making it to the printer, and the bad news is that they are still not being printed. In fact, I could not cancel the first job. I had to reboot to clear the queue. Which then let my wife print her job. When I again tried to print, the printer made noises like it was going to start, but then just stalled again. Another reboot for me, and an update for the list. Anyone know of a possible fix?

Feb. 18, 2007

This 'n that

by Bruce Linnell

I want to thank everyone at Thursday night's meeting for the warm welcome. What a treat it was to be sitting in a group and being able to use words like "distro", "Gnome", and "YaST" without drawing strange looks. The pizza was good, too. :-) I learned alot, but not as much as I thought I had. When I tried to get my printer functional I must have forgotten or misunderstood the advice that was shared with me. (I will be bringing a notebook with me next meeting.) I've got openSuSE 10.2 and access the net through a wireless router. There are 4 boxes on the LAN and the other 3 are WinXP systems. The printer we use is connected to one of those machines. I can ping the printer host box from my Linux system. Printer sharing is turned on at the host, and the XP machines print fine through the LAN. The CUPS job monitor acts as if the print jobs are being sent, right down to the progress bar and the printer icon going from green to yellow and back to green, with no error messages. But of course, there is no page forthcoming from the printer or this email would have been much shorter. It sounded so simple at the meeting...

Feb. 18, 2007

switch distros???

by Bill Mills-Curran

I have an opportunity to get my wife to consider switching from Windows to linux, but I don't think Fedora is the right distro for her. I'm wondering about Linspire/Freespire (Freespire is to Linspire as Fedora is to RedHat?) or Ubuntu. (I've been using Redhat & Fedora since '98.) I've also been frustrated at some of the compatibility problems (like wireless) with Fedora, so I'm considering switching, too. On the other hand, I like being able to get some of the newest apps, like the newest gnucash, on Fedora. Eric Raymond's recent piece on Slashdot was pretty convincing, too. He argued that it is good for the linux open/free community to get linux in as many places as possible, even if it means mixing the distros with commercial drivers, because linux needs more market share in order to succeed against windows, particularly as 64-bit comes on the scene. The "family license" of Linspire seems pretty attractive, too. A big win would be to get my 17 yr old son off windows. He's forever infecting the windows box with junk from his web surfing. My most-used apps: Open office Tetex/latex ps utils gnucash mutt VPN (compatible with my work, which uses Cisco) wine perl firefox USB devices: scanner, drive, camera code development utils multimedia (not so good on Fedora) gpg My wife would like to use Publisher (windows). She might be able to use Scribus (I haven't used it successfully). Her favorites: AOL (I can't break her loose of this) MS office apps Suggestions? Thanks, Bill

Feb. 17, 2007

Re: [Wlug] linux eye candy / video card recommendation sought

by Chuck Anderson

On Wed, Feb 14, 2007 at 09:58:27AM -0800, Andrew Perry wrote: > My question: In case the Radeon 7500 isn't up to the > task, or for future expansion, are there any > particular low-cost video cards that anyone would > recommend which are very well supported under linux ? > By "very well supported", I mean that it should work > "out of the box" with all of the major distros, at > least if this is possible. For 3D acceleration out-of-the-box (meaning supported by Open Source drivers), you only really have two choices: Intel graphics, or ATI. I believe NVidia support is being worked on, though (nouveau drivers). Unfortunately Intel graphics are only built into their chipsets, so you only find them on motherboard integrated video cards and laptops. I've been using ATI cards in recent years, and have been very happy with the progression of OSS support of their 3D acceleration. My laptop's ATI FireGL (radeon) video "Just Works(TM)" with Compiz, the 3D desktop eye-candy that ships in Fedora Core 6.

Feb. 15, 2007

Re: [Wlug] linux eye candy / video card recommendation sought

by Clint Moyer

I could not get Beryl to work with my Radeon 8500. I think if you look through the online documentation, the minimum recommended ATI card is a Radeon 9200. I ended up buying a used Nvidia GF6600 and it works very well. Enough so that I bought a 2nd one for another box. You can find a brand new GF6200 256M for about $60 online. I should think you can find one used for around $40 or less. These are all 3 or 4 generations old, so hardcore Windows gamers have them to unload. As far as "out of the box" goes, you're not going to find it. A default Linux installation will use an open source driver, but you'll need the closed source drivers from either ATI or Nvidia to make Beryl functional. The ATI driver is a PITA. Nvidia does a better job. That said, you can google detailed instructions to install either on your distro of choice. Clint Andrew Perry wrote: > I heard on the Linux Action Show podcast about the > Beryl project, which seems to offer linux users > both eye candy and improved functionality through > a 3D user interface. > > They say that Beryl will run acceptably with 256 MB > and an ATI Radeon 7500, Geforce 3, or equivalent or > better video card (seems like these are all a few > years old, which is great for my budget.)Since my linux machine has 512 MB RAM but only > on-board video, I found a used $20 Radeon 7500 on ebay > and will try Beryl out. [Side note: I bought an > "afordable performance pc" for linux from madtux.com > for about $200, and am generally satisified but for > the power supply which sounds like a snowblower. Very > minimalist interior. Space for 6 HDD's, for example.] > > My question: In case the Radeon 7500 isn't up to the > task, or for future expansion, are there any > particular low-cost video cards that anyone would > recommend which are very well supported under linux ? > By "very well supported", I mean that it should work > "out of the box" with all of the major distros, at > least if this is possible. > > I'm sure that avid gamers would want only the best in > video cards, but there are probably a lot of folks > like myself who would like a pretty good video card > for linux with no hassles. > > Thanks in advance. > > -Dr. Andrew B. Perry > Dept. of Mathematics, Springfield College > Schoo Hall Room 123 > 263 Alden St., Springfield MA 01109 > Work Phone (413)748-3193 > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > >

Feb. 15, 2007

Re: [Wlug] linux eye candy / video card recommendation sought

by John Stoffel

Andrew> Since my linux machine has 512 MB RAM but only on-board video, Andrew> I found a used $20 Radeon 7500 on ebay and will try Beryl Andrew> out. [Side note: I bought an "afordable performance pc" for Andrew> linux from madtux.com for about $200, and am generally Andrew> satisified but for the power supply which sounds like a Andrew> snowblower. Very minimalist interior. Space for 6 HDD's, for Andrew> example.] This is a neat and interesting site, though I think Dell's clearance store to also be full of good deals as well. I wonder why you didn't get more RAM on that box as well, since 1Gb would make a big improvement here I'm sure. But the Knoppix PC is tempting for my kid at home, though I think I can find a used Dell/Random PC which will do fine. He just wants to find and print pictures of whales at this point. *grin* Andrew> My question: In case the Radeon 7500 isn't up to the task, or Andrew> for future expansion, are there any particular low-cost video Andrew> cards that anyone would recommend which are very well Andrew> supported under linux ? By "very well supported", I mean that Andrew> it should work "out of the box" with all of the major distros, Andrew> at least if this is possible. I still like my Matrox G450, it's got great 2-d performance, and a nice crisp display. I'm right now at work using a Dell P4 box with i865 graphics on a Samsuny SyncMaster 204B LCD and it's just fine too. I could care less about 3-d at this point. The bigger issue I have is that dual PIII Xeon 550mhz CPUs on my home machine just don't cut it as well for photo editing and such. Poor me. :] John

Feb. 14, 2007