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Re: [Wlug] Wlug Digest, Vol 79, Issue 9
by David Hardy 21 May '10

21 May '10

I don't have any old DEC equipment anymore, but I started my so-called IT career on a PDP-11 out in gorgeous Gardner, MA back in 1986. It ran RSX for an engineering CAD/CAM shop and we also had a VAX 780 running VMS 3.5. Last version of VMS I've worked with was 7.1, right here in Wormtown. I love Linux but I have to say I also was in love with VMS. Rumor had it, back in '89, that there was a field somewhere off Route 12 in Leominster, where DEC had dumped loads and loads of equipment, including computers, printers, cables, you-name-it. One of my operators when I was a sys admin at DEC Marlborough at that time had his front yard filled with that stuff, and the weather allegedly had no effect on any of it. I would imagine by now that the field, if it ever existed, is now a condo development or a semi-abandoned strip mall. Cheers from South Woostuh! On Wed, May 19, 2010 at 12:00 PM, <wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org> wrote: > Send Wlug mailing list submissions to > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wlug-owner(a)mail.wlug.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wlug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Success - antique linux on antique SPARC (Ken Jones) > 2. Re: Success - antique linux on antique SPARC (Jorden Mauro) > 3. Re: Success - antique linux on antique SPARC (Doug Chamberlin) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 22:02:40 -0400 > From: "Ken Jones" <kjones(a)ziplink.net> > Subject: [Wlug] Success - antique linux on antique SPARC > To: <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Message-ID: <94F4CAE4ED0C4AC0BB1660AF1C3A9586@kjonespc> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > I tried and tried. I fdisk'd. I setenv'd boot-device. I tried to study > and learn. GENTOO just would not stick. > > I found in my CD pile a five disk set of AURORA 2.4.20-2.3sparc64 dated Jan > 15, 2003. It installed. It does KDE. I can see all my old "lost" files. > Hurray!! > > Anybody have a DEC PDP10 for us senior citizens to play with? > > Ken Jones > > > > ======= > Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. > (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14960) > http://www.pctools.com/ > ======= > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://mail.wlug.org/pipermail/wlug/attachments/20100518/2c82159f/attachmen… > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 07:35:45 -0400 > From: Jorden Mauro <jrm8005(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Wlug] Success - antique linux on antique SPARC > To: Worcester Linux Users Group <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Cc: "<wlug(a)mail.wlug.org>" <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Message-ID: <52DB5519-B9DE-47AE-9DC6-FE7E2899906A(a)gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > On May 18, 2010, at 10:02 PM, "Ken Jones" <kjones(a)ziplink.net> wrote: > > > I tried and tried. I fdisk'd. I setenv'd boot-device. I tried to > > study and learn. GENTOO just would not stick. > > > > I found in my CD pile a five disk set of AURORA 2.4.20-2.3sparc64 > > dated Jan 15, 2003. It installed. It does KDE. I can see all my > > old "lost" files. Hurray!! > > > > Anybody have a DEC PDP10 for us senior citizens to play with? > > 'fraid even the computer history museum is still looking for parts to > get one that can boot. > > You can run v7 Unix in a special pdp11 VM for old time sake, though. > It even has a working version of Ken's chess. > > If anyone knows PDP assembly, I'd love to see that program ported into > the 21st century. > > > > > Ken Jones > > > > > > > > > > > > ======= > > Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. > > (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14960) > > http://www.pctools.com > > ======= > > _______________________________________________ > > Wlug mailing list > > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://mail.wlug.org/pipermail/wlug/attachments/20100519/0644a5bb/attachmen… > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 08:09:12 -0400 > From: Doug Chamberlin <dougchamberlin(a)earthlink.net> > Subject: Re: [Wlug] Success - antique linux on antique SPARC > To: wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > Message-ID: <4BF3D4E8.9080303(a)earthlink.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > On 5/18/2010 10:02 PM, Ken Jones wrote: > > Anybody have a DEC PDP10 for us senior citizens to play with? > No, but I have two Dec Alpha systems looking for a good home. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > http://mail.wlug.org/pipermail/wlug/attachments/20100519/9ba9f378/attachmen… > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > End of Wlug Digest, Vol 79, Issue 9 > *********************************** >

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Re: [Wlug] Need a bigger ULTRA1 disk
by jbaillie＠netzero.com 21 May '10

21 May '10

If you are talking 68 pin I may be able to help you out with a disk. It probably has a generic firmware on it. I don't know if that makes a difference to your situ. ---------- Original Message ---------- From: "Ken Jones" <kjones(a)ziplink.net> To: <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> Subject: [Wlug] Need a bigger ULTRA1 disk Date: Thu, 20 May 2010 22:56:34 -0400 Hello again, I have down loaded the six CD Fedora-12-sparc-beta-disc.iso set. It appears to be about 3.4 Gig. That is about the size of the hard drive on which I had hoped to install it. Anybody know where I could get a bigger ULTRA sparc64 compatible hard drive? Ken ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.15020) http://www.pctools.com ======= ____________________________________________________________ Refinance Now 4.0% FIXED! $160,000 Mortgage for $633/mo. Free. No Obligation. Get 4 Quotes! http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL3231/4bf69580c22af5bdf5st02duc

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Need a bigger ULTRA1 disk
by Ken Jones 21 May '10

21 May '10

Hello again, I have down loaded the six CD Fedora-12-sparc-beta-disc.iso set. It appears to be about 3.4 Gig. That is about the size of the hard drive on which I had hoped to install it. Anybody know where I could get a bigger ULTRA sparc64 compatible hard drive? Ken ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.15020) http://www.pctools.com/ =======

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Progress - hardware issues...
by Ken Jones 19 May '10

19 May '10

Again, Thank you all for being there. My SUN ULTRA 1 Creator had some hardware problems. Its CDROM reader was intermittent. That explained the problem getting GENTOO liveCD disks to work. Now, I have three GENTOO liveCD's. They all boot. ------------------------ One has a printed label. I must have gotten in by snail mail. The label says: GENTOO Linux/2004/sparc64/CD1 Sparc64 Installation Disc 'uname' says it is: liveCD 2.4-gentoo-r2 (I think) Inside is documentation. The most recent date is July 2004. ----------------------------- install-sparc64-minimal-2006.1.iso 'uname' says it is: liveCD 2.6.17-gentoo-r5 ----------------------------- install-sparc64-universal-2006.1.iso 'uname' says it too is: liveCD 2.6.17-gentoo-r5 ----------------------------- I fail to see the difference between the minimal and the universal versions once they are installed. I want a 'real' installation. Not one running off my cdrom drive. I thought that somehow these minimal and universal versions would show me the way. I used to run Aurora, but the old mirror sights seem to have disappeared. I have my old five CD aurora disc set, but the CD drive coughs it out when I try to boot to it. I have saved the files on that hard drive that I had been using as a server. I would like to get the ULTRA running GNOME or KDE, but I am getting a bit lost. A suggestion would be appreciated. Ken

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Success - antique linux on antique SPARC
by Ken Jones 19 May '10

19 May '10

I tried and tried. I fdisk'd. I setenv'd boot-device. I tried to study and learn. GENTOO just would not stick. I found in my CD pile a five disk set of AURORA 2.4.20-2.3sparc64 dated Jan 15, 2003. It installed. It does KDE. I can see all my old "lost" files. Hurray!! Anybody have a DEC PDP10 for us senior citizens to play with? Ken Jones ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14960) http://www.pctools.com/ =======

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OMG this thing was expensive
by Ken Jones 15 May '10

15 May '10

Hello again, I've finally gotten around to fixing my SPARC ULTRA 1 machine. It's cpu fan is fried. I have a SPARC ULTRA 1 CREATOR that works with UBUNTU linux but I never got X-WINDOWS working on it. The working SPARC has been my home file server for all these many years. It had Aurora Linux with X all working fine. I figured I would do some swapping. Although the outsides are identical the two machines differ inside. The CREATOR has no cpu fan - just cooling fins. Good, I guess. I had no Service Manuals for either machine so I went to Wikipedia. It has the manuals. It also said, "The Ultra 1 Creator3D 170E launched in November 1995 with a list price of US$27,995." WOW!! QUESTION: If I move from the ULTRA1 to the ULTRA1 CREATOR the SIMMs in bank one and the hard drive should everything come up per before the crash? Thanks for thinking about this. Twenty Seven Thousand Bucks WOW!! Ken ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14950) http://www.pctools.com/ =======

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Reminder: WLUG Meeting Wednesday May 12 7PM
by Chuck Anderson 12 May '10

12 May '10

Reminder about tomorrow's WLUG meeting. On Tue, May 04, 2010 at 02:13:41PM -0400, Chuck Anderson wrote: > Hi folks, > > Our next WLUG meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 12 at > 7:00 PM in Morgan Hall at the WPI campus in Worcester, MA USA. > > I'm pleased to announce that Jeff Moyer from Red Hat will be our guest > speaker. He will be giving a talk on Solid-State Drive technology > (SSDs): > > A Complete Guide to SSDs > > This talk explains the inner workings of solid state storage > technology in an easy to understand manner. The innate properties of > NAND flash are discussed in the context of current disk scheduling > methodologies. Benchmark results comparing SSDs and traditional > rotating media are presented. The talk further outlines changes in the > Linux kernel and file system utilities that have been made to > accommodate SSDs, and changes that are on their way. Finally, guidance > is given on practical deployment of SSDs, including file system > creation and mount options, I/O scheduler selection, and answers to > some frequently asked questions. > > I look forward to seeing you there, > Chuck > President, Worcester Linux Users' Group

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I finally got the GEntoo liveCD running.
by Ken Jones 12 May '10

12 May '10

It took me three hours to figure out that at the ok prompt I am meant to write: ok boot cdrom boot: gentoo-2.4 But I am started! Ken

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Boy an I out-of-it
by Ken Jones 11 May '10

11 May '10

WLUG folks-> I got my ULTRA1 Creator up and running. I accomplished this by taking my original (Aurora) hard drive out of slot 1 and reinstalled the hard drive that had been there in the first place. When I had the Aurora in slot 1 everything booted and looked perfect for X Windows, but then in the last step it crashed. It is now running Gentoo's bash. Bash has so few commands that I am feeling helpless. When I try a BOOT from DISC to my gentoo liveCD. The machine just ejects the disc. I have eth0 working, but bash does not have a ssh command. Nor is there a demon sshd lying around. There is no 'locate' command. There is no 'find' command. I am very much missing something. What? I now feel challenged. Ken

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2.6.20-gentoo-R5
by Ken Jones 11 May '10

11 May '10

I've got my ULTRA1 Creator running 2.6.20-gentoo-R5. I am having senior moments. Too long since I have command line LINUX'd. Even longer since I have bash'd. My terminal display is different colors between files and directories which I do not like. Where is that defined? I will have many questions over the next couple of days. Please be forewarned. Ken Jones

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Re: [Wlug] How do I identify the DSIMM sizes?
by Ken Jones 10 May '10

10 May '10

NEVER MIND - I got it. 501-2622 is a 32Meg DSIMM. I found it in microprint on a card and I found it referenced in the ULTRA1 Creator Service Manual Thanks for being there. Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Jones To: wlug(a)mail.wlug.org Cc: John Stoffel Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 8:42 PM Subject: How do I identify the DSIMM sizes? There seems to be no identification markings on the DSIMM cards. I know they come in 4Meg and 16Meg sizes (at least). I have two kinds of cards. One has all 18 memory DIPs on one side. The other has ten on one side and eight on the other. The SUN Service Manuals give not hint on identifying anything. (Even the model of the whole unit as far as I can figure.) Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Jones To: wlug(a)mail.wlug.org Cc: John Stoffel Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 2:18 PM Subject: OMG this thing was expensive Hello again, I've finally gotten around to fixing my SPARC ULTRA 1 machine. It's cpu fan is fried. I have a SPARC ULTRA 1 CREATOR that works with UBUNTU linux but I never got X-WINDOWS working on it. The working SPARC has been my home file server for all these many years. It had Aurora Linux with X all working fine. I figured I would do some swapping. Although the outsides are identical the two machines differ inside. The CREATOR has no cpu fan - just cooling fins. Good, I guess. I had no Service Manuals for either machine so I went to Wikipedia. It has the manuals. It also said, "The Ultra 1 Creator3D 170E launched in November 1995 with a list price of US$27,995." WOW!! QUESTION: If I move from the ULTRA1 to the ULTRA1 CREATOR the SIMMs in bank one and the hard drive should everything come up per before the crash? Thanks for thinking about this. Twenty Seven Thousand Bucks WOW!! Ken ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14950) http://www.pctools.com/ =======

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How do I identify the DSIMM sizes?
by Ken Jones 10 May '10

10 May '10

There seems to be no identification markings on the DSIMM cards. I know they come in 4Meg and 16Meg sizes (at least). I have two kinds of cards. One has all 18 memory DIPs on one side. The other has ten on one side and eight on the other. The SUN Service Manuals give not hint on identifying anything. (Even the model of the whole unit as far as I can figure.) Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: Ken Jones To: wlug(a)mail.wlug.org Cc: John Stoffel Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 2:18 PM Subject: OMG this thing was expensive Hello again, I've finally gotten around to fixing my SPARC ULTRA 1 machine. It's cpu fan is fried. I have a SPARC ULTRA 1 CREATOR that works with UBUNTU linux but I never got X-WINDOWS working on it. The working SPARC has been my home file server for all these many years. It had Aurora Linux with X all working fine. I figured I would do some swapping. Although the outsides are identical the two machines differ inside. The CREATOR has no cpu fan - just cooling fins. Good, I guess. I had no Service Manuals for either machine so I went to Wikipedia. It has the manuals. It also said, "The Ultra 1 Creator3D 170E launched in November 1995 with a list price of US$27,995." WOW!! QUESTION: If I move from the ULTRA1 to the ULTRA1 CREATOR the SIMMs in bank one and the hard drive should everything come up per before the crash? Thanks for thinking about this. Twenty Seven Thousand Bucks WOW!! Ken ======= Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found. (Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.14950) http://www.pctools.com/ =======

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Announce: WLUG Meeting Wednesday May 12 7PM
by Chuck Anderson 07 May '10

07 May '10

Hi folks, Our next WLUG meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 12 at 7:00 PM in Morgan Hall at the WPI campus in Worcester, MA USA. I'm pleased to announce that Jeff Moyer from Red Hat will be our guest speaker. He will be giving a talk on Solid-State Drive technology (SSDs): A Complete Guide to SSDs This talk explains the inner workings of solid state storage technology in an easy to understand manner. The innate properties of NAND flash are discussed in the context of current disk scheduling methodologies. Benchmark results comparing SSDs and traditional rotating media are presented. The talk further outlines changes in the Linux kernel and file system utilities that have been made to accommodate SSDs, and changes that are on their way. Finally, guidance is given on practical deployment of SSDs, including file system creation and mount options, I/O scheduler selection, and answers to some frequently asked questions. I look forward to seeing you there, Chuck President, Worcester Linux Users' Group

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My SUN ULTRA ONE died!
by Ken Jones 06 May '10

06 May '10

Help!! My SUN ULTRA ONE has stopped altogether. It had turned itself off a month or so ago. When I hit the ON switch the little green light came on for a moment then went off. I figured a fan or something of that nature had died. Today I got ready to work on it. Now nothing happens. Absolutely nothing when I push the ON switch. I have a running spare ULTRA ONE for parts. I suppose I have to start by swapping the power supplies, but I was hoping you guys would tell me about a fuse - or something. Ken Jones (Fitchburg) E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (7.0.0.514) Database version: 6.14790 http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/

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Looking for a linux tablet
by kstratton＠fastmail.us 30 Apr '10

30 Apr '10

Anyone have a suggestion for a Linux tablet? This is what I am looking for: 1) Ability to schedule and store and hot sync information to both linux and windows computers. 2) Ability to run arbritary apps, this includes: a) PDF viewer b) gcc or some other compiler 3) Ability to add external periphials such as a keyboard or mouse. Portability is more inportant than this feature. I would expect the keyboard/mouse would need external batteries. 4) Rechargable battery 5) A good technically oriented user base 6) Ability to reprogram the thing if I brick it. I am open for all ideas. -- kstratton(a)fastmail.us

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iPhone
by Spyrek 20 Apr '10

20 Apr '10

There is much development between Linux and the iPhone, is anyone else interested in this? On Apr 20, 2010, at 8:57 AM, wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org wrote: > Send Wlug mailing list submissions to > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wlug-owner(a)mail.wlug.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wlug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Help finding decent headset? (E Johnson) > 2. Re: Help finding decent headset? (soup) > 3. Re: Help finding decent headset? (E Johnson) > 4. Re: Help finding decent headset? (Richard Klein) > 5. Re: Help finding decent headset? (Randall Mason) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:57:38 -0400 >From: E Johnson <iris.gates(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Wlug] Help finding decent headset? > To: Worcester Linux Users Group <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Message-ID: > <v2s70541d1e1004191557s40964f0cu20164ded771620e(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Wow, amazing. > > Bose is way too high-cost. > > Some of these headsets have an input impedence of over 100 ohms --I recall > having one like this which did not work. > > Plantronics does not show input impedence on their website. In fact tech > sheets there are impossible to find, even with the correct part number / > product description. Nor do their "technical representatives" have this > available. A nice girl there will have an engineer!!! look this up & tell > her, then she promises to e-mail me with this arcane but necessary data. > > I had been hoping someone here would be able to say "I have this unit, it > works great for the purpose you specified", but it appears I'm in for a long > stalk and not a quick ambush. > > So if I find whatever I'm hunting I'll be back with details. > > Thanks again, > Liz > > On 19 April 2010 17:01, Jorden M <jrm8005(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> Bose is generally regarded as having superior audio-quality. Maybe out >> of your price range, though. >> >> On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 4:31 PM, E Johnson <iris.gates(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> Do not have Bluetooth here; do not want. >>> >>> I make VoIP calls through the computer (not a telephone handest). The >>> headset must not hiss, must transmit voice clearly without chopping, >> needs >>> to be able to send/receive some depth of sound in order to hear voice >>> nuances. Don't need huge booming bass, just normal voice. >>> >>> Would like something that uses the pair of 3.5 mm jacks. Would like >> analog >>> sound rather than digitally-processed. Sound is already >> digitally-processed >>> as it moves through the sound card and sent out in packets. >>> >>> Someone asked for reviews here. Can't do really --some of these headsets >>> are long-gone; the ones remaining are in the reject bin, but not labelled >> as >>> to the reason. At least three sets have bee given away to friends to use >> for >>> emergency backup in case theirs fails. >>> >>> One Logitech headset for VoIP (an inexpensive, behind-the-head model) was >>> very painful above the ears. Most of the supra-aural sets are like >> wearing >>> little wooden blocks over the ears, lightly padded with thin foam. Two I >>> have had to pad out under the foam phone covers. The units with >>> pseudo-leather or pseudo-velvet phone covers seem to be padded a little >>> better. >>> >>> Most of these headsets are too big (slip off) yet conversely the same >>> headset might be too tight on the ears. >>> >>> Believe it or not, the best headset I ever had was the Cyber Acoustics >>> Neckband Style Stereo Headset/Microphone AC-634, which used to cost about >>> $11 and now costs about $14. It's too big for my head in back, though. >> These >>> seem to last about 6 months to a year before one of the phone or mic >> wires >>> breaks. owned several of those. gave up because I thought it would be >> nice >>> to rest my neck against the headrest here, without pushing the headset >>> forward off my ears. One needs a large head.think neck for these to fit >>> well, perhaps. >>> >>> Logitech now offers a behind-the-neck headset with a sofe(er) >> silicone-lined >>> headband, that people seem to like. But the review I find for this one >> seem >>> mainly to have been written by gamers. They have totally different >>> requirements than VoIP users. Also, this thing is a little expensive for >>> what it appears to be... unless it really does produce very good sound. >> Has >>> anyone used this one?? >>> >>> Although my question here may be another of my famous unanswerable >>> questions, thanks again, >>> Liz J >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 19 April 2010 14:50, Randall Mason <clashthebunny(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> I would probably convert to Bluetooth, but that's up to you. What are >>>> your requirements? Does it need to just need to get audio both ways >>>> from your face to your computer, or is it a wired handset, like your >>>> phone? I had a boss that had a Platronics Bluetooth phone headset >>>> (Bluetooth base station plugs into a handset jack, and the rest is >>>> wireless to your ear), and he really liked it. I've also liked many >>>> of my Bluetooth headsets from Platronics. >>>> >>>> Randall Mason >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 12:39 PM, E Johnson <iris.gates(a)gmail.com> >> wrote: >>>>> Going nuts here trying to find a headset I can use for long periods of >>>>> time >>>>> in VoIP. Last thing I bought was comfortable and worked OOB, but had >>>>> very >>>>> fuzzy sound in and out. >>>>> >>>>> I've been using headsets with 3.5 mm jacks, but never found a hedset >>>>> that >>>>> was both comfortable and had decent mic output plus phones input. What >>>>> to >>>>> get? >>>>> >>>>> VoIP needs are apparently very different than gaming needs... headsets >>>>> that >>>>> gamers like might not be the greatest for VoIP. VoIP headsets seem to >> be >>>>> expensive for the build and/or quality. >>>>> >>>>> I don't need fabulous quality for playing music (don't listen to music >>>>> or >>>>> watch movies), but VoIP must sound good on my end and on my contact's >>>>> side >>>>> too. >>>>> >>>>> ALSA is working well here, want to keep it, but if anyone can provide >>>>> clear >>>>> direction on other options that do succesfully work with a >>>>> non-zillion-dollar headset, I would dearly appreciate some >> consultation. >>>>> >>>>> Does anyone have experience with USB or 3.5 mm headsets in (hopefully) >>>>> Debian or Ubuntu? >>>>> >>>>> TIA, >>>>> Liz J >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Wlug mailing list >>>>> Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org >>>>> http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >>>>> >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Wlug mailing list >>>> Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org >>>> http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Wlug mailing list >>> Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org >>> http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >>> >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wlug mailing list >> Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org >> http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >> >

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Help finding decent headset?
by E Johnson 20 Apr '10

20 Apr '10

Going nuts here trying to find a headset I can use for long periods of time in VoIP. Last thing I bought was comfortable and worked OOB, but had very fuzzy sound in and out. I've been using headsets with 3.5 mm jacks, but never found a hedset that was both comfortable and had decent mic output plus phones input. What to get? VoIP needs are apparently very different than gaming needs... headsets that gamers like might not be the greatest for VoIP. VoIP headsets seem to be expensive for the build and/or quality. I don't need fabulous quality for playing music (don't listen to music or watch movies), but VoIP must sound good on my end and on my contact's side too. ALSA is working well here, want to keep it, but if anyone can provide clear direction on other options that do succesfully work with a non-zillion-dollar headset, I would dearly appreciate some consultation. Does anyone have experience with USB or 3.5 mm headsets in (hopefully) Debian or Ubuntu? TIA, Liz J

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New President
by Andy Stewart 15 Apr '10

15 Apr '10

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI everybody, It is my pleasure to announce that Chuck Anderson was elected as the next WLUG President. Chuck has been a WLUG member since the very first meeting (July 1997) and has been very active for all of these years. Chuck hosts the WLUG website and has been getting us the meeting rooms. I'm sure that Chuck will do a fine job as WLUG's new president. Congratulations, Chuck! Andy - -- Andy Stewart (KB1OIQ) Founder: Worcester Linux Users' Group Founder: Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group President: PART of Westford, MA (WB1GOF) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFLxvXCOjiraCaOTOoRAuFhAJ4pCNu6IiwG4m/YJxjo5TQGBSh8hgCeO//T 9ytuswrp1cA/XhbP+sNCnwk= =PFSI -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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REMINDER: WLUG meeting WED evening, 7:00 PM
by Andy Stewart 14 Apr '10

14 Apr '10

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 - -- Andy Stewart (KB1OIQ) Founder: Worcester Linux Users' Group Founder: Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group President: PART of Westford, MA (WB1GOF) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFLxSwFOjiraCaOTOoRAgY9AJ48+m3FtDHzJFkYYXvZ+WDSOuxbSwCg4tOJ ZJq6U7xYepjyR10/dha1Jus= =kNxp -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Upcoming meeting: April 14th (Wednesday)
by Andy Stewart 06 Apr '10

06 Apr '10

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 HI Everybody, This is an early announcement about our upcoming WLUG meeting, which is next week on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010, at 7:00 PM. I have been the acting president of WLUG since I founded the group back in July 1997. Due to increasing pressures on my personal time, I think it is time for me to step aside and let another person be the president of WLUG. I definitely have enjoyed the privilege of being the group president, and I plan to continue attending the group meetings. I think that our next meeting should include a detailed discussion of the future of WLUG, and sometime soon, an election of at least a president, and probably a treasurer. I am happy to continue acting as president until such an election occurs. I don't know if we really need a vice president and or a secretary, but those topics should definitely be part of the discussion. I think the group has been very successful due to all of you who come to the meetings, give presentations, etc. This announcement, and the election of a new president, will definitely change the group. I see this is an opportunity for the group to grow in different ways. There is no doubt that the group will be different. Whether it becomes better or worse is really up to all of us. I look forward, as always, to seeing you at the meeting *next* week on Wednesday, April 14th. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart (KB1OIQ) Founder: Worcester Linux Users' Group Founder: Chelmsford Linux Meetup Group President: PART of Westford, MA (WB1GOF) -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with SUSE - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFLuoNmOjiraCaOTOoRAun1AJ9Wz6jx4wvHKat9UUnOhrjcsIeZEgCglkUD x02mDM/AGIAGYPwAQ48qDUg= =iwnj -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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How to manipulate audio (ALSA) a lot with a HD audio card?
by Tatsh 02 Apr '10

02 Apr '10

Stupid Intel decided to build-in DRM into the spec of these things. I have a Conexant which has Nvidia codec to provide audio for the HDMI output (this works fine except that in alsa settings I have to force a default output device, 3). What I'd like to do is be able to record from the stereo mixer, which I have none in alsamixer. So how do I go about creating one? I've tried a few different configs I found on-line but nothing seemed to work for me. WIth this capability of course I could record audio from my computer in say, Audacity, or I could even broadcast audio through Skype. And the best part would be if I could broadcast audio through Skype AND use my headset at the same time (mixing the 2 into one channel input). I have 3 mic inputs apparently (one of them is webcam, another is the jack, and I don't know what the 3rd one is). Image of KMix: http://bitpic.net/image/kmix-nvidia-hd-audio-codec So far I know it's something I can do with ALSA settings where I can tell ALSA to redirect audio and 'copy' whatever is going on on any input channel (overriding the jack of course). No luck there yet. Any help appreciated Thanks -- Tatsh www.bitpic.net www.tatsh.net ddrtist(a)gmail.com

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Two Senior IT positions open at TripAdvisor in Newton (IT and Operations)
by Ryan Pugatch 02 Apr '10

02 Apr '10

Hi all, We have a couple of tech positions open at TripAdvisor. The first is for a "Principal Technical Operations Engineer" which is on our operations team, handling our livesite environment. The second, "IT Lead", is on our internal IT team. Below are the job postings. We're definitely looking for people with several years experience. If you are interested, please email me your resume. I am also glad to answer any questions. - Ryan (Systems Administrator @ TripAdvisor) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Principal Technical Operations Engineer Hundreds of servers. Thousands of requests per second. Millions of users. Two admins (you could be number 3)! We are looking for a senior hands-on network (mostly Cisco) and systems (mostly Linux) administrator. You will have several years of prior experience in the operation of one or more of the following: High traffic web application OR Software as a service OR Internet/Network Service Provider TripAdvisor is the top site for travel advice and reviews on the Internet. It is very profitable. It's also a fun place to work where "speed wins" is the operating principle. We move fast. We are flexible and we take risks. An open mind and ideas are always welcome. Dogmatism and inflexibility not so much. You will play a lead role in the design and operation of the network, server, and datacenter infrastructure beneath TripAdvisor's applications. The environment currently spans 3 datacenters, and that is likely to increase. You will work closely with the software engineering team to support product changes and enhance their performance, scalability, reliability, and security. We are small team. You will be expected to work on a project or task from end to end with a comfort level running projects and implementing the details. One day you might be working with our ISPs to transition from static routing to BGP, and the next day you are racking and cabling switches. This morning you are kicking off a load balancer replacement project, and in the afternoon you are upgrading firewall firmware after you determine that we are exposed to a potential security vulnerability. This week you are putting together a comprehensive network monitoring system, and next week you are running tcpdump with a DBA to try and diagnose why database replication is "slow". You will have a thorough knowledge of enterprise networking including Cisco switching, routing, and security as well as TCP/IP internals. You will also preferably have a strong Linux or Unix background. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- IT Lead TripAdvisor is looking for an IT generalist who will provide leadership and mentoring to a team of 4 supporting the IT needs of roughly 350 employees worldwide. This role is part hands-on sysadmin and part team lead with the potential to grow into a team management role. TripAdvisor is the top site for travel advice and reviews on the Internet. It is very profitable. It's also a fun place to work where "speed wins" is the operating principle. We move fast. We are flexible and we take risks. An open mind and ideas are always welcome. Dogmatism and inflexibility not so much. We are not your typical Windows / Active Directory / Exchange shop. Desktops: 60% Windows 40% OSX. Our email/collaboration system is Zimbra running on Linux. Our phone system is Asterisk running on Linux. Instead of Active Directory, we use OpenLDAP. Our file/print servers run Samba. We tend to prefer open solutions that we can take off the shelf and adapt to our needs, but we are not wedded to a particular OS or vendor. To be successful in this role you will: Possess excellent interpersonal skills, patience, and a genuine desire to help people with their technology challenges Have strong troubleshooting skills and a diagnostic intuition Enjoy and excel at mentoring other talented team members to reach their full potential Be a self-starter. If you don't know how to do something you consider it a challenge to try to figure it out for yourself You will have demonstrated experience with: Linux systems administration Windows systems administration Samba OpenLDAP Postfix Server virtualization Scripting (perl, python, bash...) Duties and Responsibilities include: Operation of corporate networked applications and infrastructure (Zimbra, OpenLDAP, Samba, Asterisk) Overseeing backups of roughly 20+TB of data weekly Ensuring the security of TripAdvisor's corporate systems Procuring and deploying server hardware Tier 2/3 Helpdesk support Working with the Director of IT to develop IT strategy

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the website is in need of some love
by Jeff Moyer 02 Apr '10

02 Apr '10

I'm not sure who maintains it, but it's in a very sad state at the moment. Cheers, Jeff

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Re: [Wlug] Use Drupal On The Web Site - Wlug Digest, Vol 78, Issue 1
by Steven Greenberg 01 Apr '10

01 Apr '10

I am all in favor of Jeff's suggestion. I first tested Drupal on my personal web site (http://www.ssgreenberg.name/Drupal/Drupal/) I then convinced my Square Dance Club to let me work with the Webmaster to convert that site to Drupal. We have had nothing but raves from the readers since we converted. http://www.hayloftsteppers.org/ When judging the site, remember, we are (or were) engineers, not artists. /Steve > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Subject: > Re: [Wlug] the website is in need of some love > From: > Tatsh <ddrtist(a)gmail.com> > Date: > Thu, 1 Apr 2010 10:05:30 -0400 > To: > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > To: > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > > Would be cool to do it over in Drupal. > > NOT JOOMLA (should be called 'piece of crap please give up already!')! > > All you need is a blog post system (built-in) to write about events, and add > custom fields like time if you want, etc etc. From a design stand point, there > is no reason to use images for the textual links, especially obviously > compressed JPEGs. > > Late > > Jeff Moyer wrote: >> I'm not sure who maintains it, but it's in a very sad state at the >> moment. >> >> Cheers, >> Jeff -- Steven Greenberg Email: steve(a)ssgreenberg.name 251 Holland Rd. Phone: (774)241-0095 Fiskdale, Massachusetts 01518-1231 Web: http://www.ssgreenberg.name Other Email: s.greenberg(a)ieee.org ssg(a)alum.mit.edu

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interesting article on RAID
by Chuck Anderson 12 Mar '10

12 Mar '10

Triple-Parity RAID and Beyond by Adam Leventhal | December 17, 2009 http://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=1670144 As hard-drive capacities continue to outpace their throughput, the time has come for a new level of RAID. -- - Chuck (372 Days until IPv4 depletion: http://ipv4depletion.com/)

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