From: Digestifier To: Linux-Admin@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Reply-To: Linux-Admin@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 21:19:30 EDT Subject: Linux-Admin Digest #54 Linux-Admin Digest #54, Volume #1 Sun, 12 Sep 93 21:19:30 EDT Contents: Re: Install on a ARC Pentium (Brandon S. Allbery) Re: BBS for Linux! (Matt McLeod) massive core dumps from networking stuff (John Dowdal) user time inconsistant. (Ron Watkins) Re: Enough SLS bashing (Re: Install on a ARC Pentium) (Warner Losh) Re: Enough SLS bashing (Re: Install on a ARC Pentium) (Warner Losh) Re: Backup to QIC-80 tape drive (Colorado) (kch) Re: I/O speed (Piercarlo Antonio Grandi) Re: Let's collect KNOWN BUGS (Bernd Meyer) Thanks for times() help. (Ron Watkins) Re: Let's collect KNOWN BUGS (Jeff Epler) Linux HOWTO Index (Matt Welsh) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org (Brandon S. Allbery) Subject: Re: Install on a ARC Pentium Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 14:52:42 GMT The SLS Anti-Defamation Society is still trying to convince everyone to stop mentioning SLS bugs, I see. It's far better to hurt Linux by making it look like a buggy piece of sh*t than it is to say anything even remotely bad about the SLS distribution, obviously. NOT. Get a clue already. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery kf8nh@kf8nh.ampr.org bsa@kf8nh.wariat.org "MSDOS didn't get as bad as it is overnight -- it took over ten years of careful development." ---dmeggins@aix1.uottawa.ca ------------------------------ From: matt@krikkit1.apana.org.au (Matt McLeod) Subject: Re: BBS for Linux! Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1993 16:06:41 GMT David Savlin (dhs1@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu) wrote: : Okay now. : Since I've gotten Linux up and running on my machine (alas, w/out a HD : bootstrap), I've started porting the C framework to my BBS-package-to-be to : Linux, removing all the DOS-specific junk. IT IS NOT A BBS YET. Don't ask me : for a copy because it don't do much. However, here are the features I had : planned to incorporate: : o Standard UNIX login, controllable sh access by user : o FidoNet front-end and mail tossing/packing (big job tho) : o Any termcap emulation supported, including AVATAR (which I will probably : have to write myself .. *sigh*) : o File transfers with Zmodem via SZ/RZ : I was also thinking of writing a very simple message editor with obvious : control/function keys along the bottom of the screen, since I only know of two : UNIX editors, and both have a steep learning curve (EMACS and VI). My main : goal with this was to write a FidoNet front end, actually, since I'm : reasonably well versed (and stocked) with the specs for Fido mailers, having : run one for several years. I have no plans to put in Usenet mail, because I : have *no* connections to get it, and haven't got a clue how to even set up : something like nn, let alone code one. You could just allow the bbs software to call external programs. Then for Internet mail elm is called, while nn or tin (or whatever) gets called for news. Not too difficult, I'd expect. As for Unix editors, take a look at joe (it comes with the SLS distribution). It uses WordStar style keys (^K^B to mark blocks, etc) Matt -- Matt McLeod Bob-Fearing Freelance Writer matt@krikkit1.apana.org.au ------------------------------ From: jdowdal@centreville-2201.dorm.umd.edu (John Dowdal) Subject: massive core dumps from networking stuff Date: 12 Sep 1993 15:40:41 GMT Talk, telnet and rlogin (mostly talk) sometimes decide to start dumping core...and don't stop until the disk is full (about 100 megs). I've seen other people talking about these big core dumps, but does anyone know what causes them and how to fix them? Also, I have trouble getting in ftp from a linux machine in binary modem; usually fails with "illegal seek". I'd like to fix these problems because I often come back to my machine and find the disk full with a 100 meg core dump. Thanks.. John ------------------------------ From: ron@argus.lpl.Arizona.EDU (Ron Watkins) Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: user time inconsistant. Date: 12 Sep 1993 17:25:55 GMT I have been working with the system call 'times' which is suposto return the user and system times in a buffer. Well, I have trying to characterize a convolution routine for image processing. I have noticed that when I surround a piece of code with two calls to times and subtract the results that I get a time which is significantly larger than the user time reported by the time shell command. Im using the user time from the structure tms as indicated by the manual page. The times reported by times() are about 80% larger than the user time reported by the time command. I have converted the time to seconds by dividing by 60. Can anyone shed some light on my problem? Which is more accurate, and why the difference? Ron Watkins -- Ron Watkins [ron@argus.lpl.arizona.edu] / /~~~~) / 931 Gould-Simpson / /____/ / University of Arizona / / / Tucson AZ. 85721 -- (602) 621-8606 (____ unar & / lanetary (____ ab. ------------------------------ From: imp@boulder.parcplace.com (Warner Losh) Subject: Re: Enough SLS bashing (Re: Install on a ARC Pentium) Date: Thu, 9 Sep 1993 19:40:29 GMT In article wpwood@austin.ibm.com (Bill Woodward) writes: >If you don't like SLS, then don't use >it. But I'm sick of listening to people bitch about it !!! Sigh. There ***ARE*** problems with SLS. They haven't been corrected over time, even though bug reports have been filed. SLS is a good base, but it has lots of security problems (some things compiled to use shadow, others do not). There are permission problems for people that are used to DOS. Some of the utilities are duplicated. Some are slow to update. That said, however, I must agree that SLS is the best that is currently available (I haven't tried Slackware yet) for the niche that it fills. Just because I'm not 100% happy with it doesn't mean that I give up the right to point out problems that I see with it. It is a stable system, for me, and I've been able to get real work done using it. I have had to tweak a lot to get the system to the point that I like it. I shouldn't have had to do half of the stuff that I did to get it to where it is on my system today. I've found that it is a very good base to work from, despite its flaws. "If I have been able to see farther than most, it is because I've stood on the shoulders of giants" -- Sir Isaac Newton Warner -- Warner Losh imp@boulder.parcplace.COM ParcPlace Boulder I've almost finished my brute force solution to subtlety. ------------------------------ From: imp@boulder.parcplace.com (Warner Losh) Subject: Re: Enough SLS bashing (Re: Install on a ARC Pentium) Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 18:35:24 GMT In article <26opf7$pa0@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> barspi@wam.umd.edu (Barzilai Spinak) writes: > Hey! You are getting this great OS for free! If you don't like something, >change it or go away. Err, ummmm, that's the point. We'd like to change it, but we can't distribute the changes at all, due to Peter's stance wrt modification and redistribution of SLS. Look at what Slackware is having to do to be able to distribute their stuff. *********** F L A M E O N ******************** I think the put up or shut up attitude is counter productive. It discourages discussion and pisses people off for no good reason. If you don't like to read about it, then don't. Modern news readers do have facilities for this sort of thing, use them rather than whining about people that are, in your opinion, whining. *********** F L A M E O F F ******************** I won't flame people for flaming people that are flaming people for whining about whining about whining, however, since that is too meta for me. :-) Warner -- Warner Losh imp@boulder.parcplace.COM ParcPlace Boulder I've almost finished my brute force solution to subtlety. ------------------------------ From: kch@edgtech.demon.co.uk (kch) Subject: Re: Backup to QIC-80 tape drive (Colorado) Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1993 19:58:56 +0000 Craig T Manske (albion@csd4.csd.uwm.edu) wrote: [stuff deleted] :>I also have a Colorado, and know that the driver is alpha. But, is there :>a way to use GNU tar to backup to floppy? Kinda like MeSsyDO's backup :>and restore, or Fullback? Use the command :- tar cvMf /dev/fd0h1440 ./* from the directory you want to start the backup from. The 'M' option is the important bit which tells tar to use multi-volume support. You use 'tar xvMf /dev/fd0h1440' to read the files back again. -- +---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ | Keith Howell | EdgTech International Ltd, 4/5 North Bar St, | | kch@edgtech.demon.co.uk | Banbury, OX16 0TB, United Kingdom. | | kch@cix.compulink.co.uk | Tel +44 (0)295 277088 Fax +44 (0)295 279179 | +---------------------------+----------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ From: pcg@decb.aber.ac.uk (Piercarlo Antonio Grandi) Subject: Re: I/O speed Reply-To: pcg@aber.ac.uk (Piercarlo Grandi) Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 19:48:39 GMT On Thu, 9 Sep 93 20:02:14 GMT, Mark Lord (mlord@bnr.ca) wrote: Hi. I get results all over the map with iozone, depending on God knows what. It seems purely random to me. With my IDE drive, results vary from 600KB/sec to 1200KB/sec on a 30Meg file. Including the USE_FSYNC define, and the fix to fsync() from 99pl13 (it returns without waiting in prior patchlevels). The code in iozone is really simple, so linux itself must be doing something weird internally.. very inconsistent.. Uhmmmmm :-). Let's say that IOZONE is very consistent in what it measures, unfortunately it measures different things on every run. In other words, it is mostly worthless. ------------------------------ From: root@umibox.hanse.de (Bernd Meyer) Subject: Re: Let's collect KNOWN BUGS Date: Sun, 12 Sep 1993 05:11:07 GMT andreas@knobel.knirsch.de (Andreas Klemm) writes: >kai@depeche.toppoint.de (Kai Voigt) writes: >>bf703@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Patrick J. Volkerding) writes: >>Of course the publisher of a distribution should provide a 'bug service' >>and should try to fix bugs, I don't want to have the news system running >>under user root in the next 5 SLS's :-) There could be a shell-script >>(named 'bug-report' or whatever) that could be invoked when a user >>finds a bug. The user will be prompted to describe the bug and the script >>will automatically send an email to the distributor or a list of people >>that care for bugs. Sounds like a good idea to me. This has two major drawbacks.... a) There will be floods of mails like "I can't compile xboing. I have SLS with a few thrown in goodies of my own". This is really no bug report! b) (The more impiortant one)... oink> bugreport Hi, this is your form to report bugs. PLease do it! What program/packet is it you found a bug in --> MAIL Can you describe the bug? --> the mail program is broken and sends all mail to the bitbucket Thanks for sending in a bug report. It will automagically mailed to the maintainers :-) Bernie -- We both know that the earth is round | Bernd Meyer, EE-student So we can't see the way before us to its end | "Nobody is a failure who has We walk on this way, hand in hand, | friends" (from: "It's a And I hope you are still with me behind the horizon| wonderful life" ------------------------------ From: ron@argus.lpl.Arizona.EDU (Ron Watkins) Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Thanks for times() help. Date: 12 Sep 1993 20:11:18 GMT Thanks to those who pointed out that Linux has HZ defined to be 100 rather than 60. I admit to using a SUNOS manual page when figuring out how to use times(). I don't seem to have many manual pages on my linux box. Thanks again, Ron -- Ron Watkins [ron@argus.lpl.arizona.edu] / /~~~~) / 931 Gould-Simpson / /____/ / University of Arizona / / / Tucson AZ. 85721 -- (602) 621-8606 (____ unar & / lanetary (____ ab. ------------------------------ From: jepler@nyx.cs.du.edu (Jeff Epler) Subject: Re: Let's collect KNOWN BUGS Date: Sun, 12 Sep 93 22:13:28 GMT In article <1993Sep12.051107.30632@umibox.hanse.de> root@umibox.hanse.de (Bernd Meyer) writes: >andreas@knobel.knirsch.de (Andreas Klemm) writes: > >>kai@depeche.toppoint.de (Kai Voigt) writes: > >>>bf703@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Patrick J. Volkerding) writes: > >>>Of course the publisher of a distribution should provide a 'bug service' >>>and should try to fix bugs, I don't want to have the news system running >>>under user root in the next 5 SLS's :-) There could be a shell-script >>>(named 'bug-report' or whatever) that could be invoked when a user >>>finds a bug. The user will be prompted to describe the bug and the script >>>will automatically send an email to the distributor or a list of people >>>that care for bugs. Sounds like a good idea to me. > >This has two major drawbacks.... Even better than that.. Many Linux users can't mail the internet from their home box. -- Jeff Epler jepler@herbie.unl.edu (Preferred) or jepler@nyx.cs.du.edu ____ "Nuke the unborn gay whales" -- Never seen on a protest sign \bi/ I have no time for petty theft, I have no time for sex, \/ But I have time for what I like, And that is what is best. ------------------------------ From: mdw@sunsite.unc.edu (Matt Welsh) Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.announce,comp.os.linux.help,news.answers,comp.answers Subject: Linux HOWTO Index Date: 13 Sep 1993 00:30:59 GMT Archive-name: linux/howto/index Last-modified: 6 September 1993 The Linux HOWTO Index Matt Welsh, ============================================================================= Last Modified 6 September 1993 This is an introduction and index to the Linux HOWTO documents. 0. What are Linux HOWTOs? Linux HOWTOs are short online documents which describe in detail a certain aspect of configuring or using the Linux system. For example, there is the Installation HOWTO, which gives instructions on installing Linux, and the Mail HOWTO, which describes how to set up and configure mail under Linux. Other examples include the NET-2-HOWTO (previously the NET-2-FAQ) and the Linux-vs-386BSD HOWTO. Information in HOWTOs is generally more detailed and in-depth than what can be squeezed into the Linux FAQ. For this reason, the Linux FAQ is being rewritten. A large amount of the information contained therein will be relegated to various HOWTO documents. The FAQ will be a shorter list of frequently asked questions about Linux, covering small specific topics. Most of the ``useful'' information in the FAQ will now be covered in the HOWTOs. HOWTOs are comprehensive docs---much like an FAQ but generally not in question-and-answer format. However, many HOWTOs contain an FAQ section at the end. For example, the NET-2-FAQ has been renamed to the NET-2-HOWTO, because it wasn't in question-and-answer format. However, you will see the NET-2-HOWTO named as the NET-2-FAQ in many places. The two docs are one and the same. 1. Where to get Linux HOWTOs HOWTOs can be retrieved via anonymous FTP from the following sites: sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/docs/HOWTO The Index, printed below, lists the currently available HOWTOs. HOWTOs are also posted regularly to the newsgroups comp.os.linux and comp.os.linux.announce. In addition, a number of the HOWTOs will be crossposted to news.answers. Therefore, you can find the Linux HOWTOs on the news.answers archive site rtfm.mit.edu. 2. HOWTO Index The following Linux HOWTOs are currently available. The list is small, because this is a relatively new project. * INSTALLATION HOWTO. How to obtain and install Linux. This is the first document which a Linux newcomer should read. It discusses how to obtain Linux, both from the Internet and via Snail-mail, and how to install it. Focuses primarily on the SLS distribution of Linux, which is the current de facto standard. * Linux INFO-SHEET. A general technical introduction to Linux, listing its features, supported hardware, and other general information. * Linux META-FAQ. A list of sources of information about Linux, such as documentation, newsgroups, FTP sites, and so on. * NET-2 HOWTO. Describes how to install and configure the Linux NET-2 TCP/IP code, in kernels 0.99.pl10 and above. (This has nothing to do with the so-called BSD NET-2 distribution.) Discusses various aspects of TCP/IP networking under Linux, including the use of SLIP. The complete instruction manual for TCP/IP under Linux. * Ethernet HOWTO. A HOWTO about the various Ethernet device drivers which are available for Linux. Should be read along with the NET-2 HOWTO by anyone using Ethernet for TCP/IP on Linux. * Mail HOWTO. All about configuration of electronic mail with Linux, including UUCP and TCP/IP mailers such as Smail and sendmail. * UUCP HOWTO. How to configure UUCP to transfer files, mail, and news to other UNIX machines on a UUCP-based connection. Includes discussion of Taylor UUCP for Linux. * News HOWTO. Setup and configuration of news software, such as C News, INN, and newsreaders (such as rn and tin) under Linux. WANTED. I would be very happy if someone would write the following HOWTO documents, and submit them to me (see the instructions in the next section below). Most of these are modifications of existing FAQ documents, and should be easy to put into HOWTO format. Keep in mind that HOWTOs generally aren't in FAQ format, but can contain an FAQ section at the end. Some of these are under construction; however, if you're interested in working on one of them, please let me know. * GCC/LIBRARY HOWTO. Discussing installation/upgrading of the GCC and shared libraries under Linux. How to build shared libraries. Most of the material would come from Mitchum DeSouza's GCC FAQ. * KERNEL HOWTO. How to upgrade and compile the kernel. Basic kernel tweaking, including how to turn on debugging output. How to decrypt panic messages. Basic introduction to kernel structure and hacking. (Under constructions, mdw@sunsite.unc.edu). * PRINTING HOWTO. How to install and use printing software such as lp/lpr on your system. How to configure /etc/printcap for various types of printers. Information can come from existing Printer and LPR FAQs. (Under construction.) * SCSI HOWTO. All of the ins and outs about SCSI drivers for Linux. * SERIAL HOWTO. All of the ins and outs about serial communications under Linux, including use of getty for dialins. Perhaps a section on FAX software. * X WINDOWS HOWTO. How to install and configure XFree86 under Linux. Much of this is general, not Linux-specific, but the current XFree86 documentation consists mostly READMEs which most new users don't understand. What hardware is supported, tweaking the Xconfig file, getting xdm to work, and so on. (Under construction, mdw@sunsite.unc.edu). 3. Writing and submitting a HOWTO If you would like to write a Linux HOWTO document, there are a few guidelines that you should follow. * Format the document neatly. HOWTOs must be available in plain ASCII format, but you are free to use a formatting tool (texinfo, LameTeX, nroff) to format the document. Try to use meaningful structure and organization, and write clearly. Remember that many of the people reading HOWTOs do not speak English as their first language. * Make sure that all of the information is correct. I can't stress this enough. When in doubt, speculate, but make it clear that you're only guessing. * Make sure that you are covering the most recent version of the available software. Also, be sure to include full instructions on where software can be downloaded from (FTP site name, full pathname). * Include an FAQ section at the end, if appropriate. Many HOWTO documents need an "FAQ" or "Common Problems" section to cover information which can't be covered in the regular text. * Use other HOWTOs as a model. It is nice to have a common look and feel to HOWTO documents--- this document being an example. The easier the HOWTO is to browse, the more useful it will be to readers. After you have written the HOWTO, mail it to me (Matt Welsh) at mdw@sunsite.unc.edu. I am the HOWTO coordinator---I will look over the HOWTO, and make any editorial remarks. I will also take care of approving and posting the HOWTO to the various newsgroups and uploading the HOWTO to the FTP archive sites. Of course, all credit for the HOWTO will go to the author. It is important that you go through me when submitting a HOWTO. I maintain the HOWTO archives and need to keep track of what HOWTOs are being written and who is doing what. If you don't submit a HOWTO to me, I can't include it in the archive or add it to the HOWTO INDEX. I can also help to reformat the HOWTO if needed to make it look nicer. :) Once I have approved the HOWTO, I will post it and upload it to the FTP sites. I will also send you (the author) the "final" version of the HOWTO with any changes. All you have to do is send me periodic updates (every month or so, as needed) and I will take care of posting the HOWTO regularly. 3. Miscellaneous and Legalese If you have questions, please feel free to mail mdw@sunsite.unc.edu. The Linux FAQ rewrite is being coordinated by Ian Jackson, ijackson@nyx.cs.du.edu, with help from others. Linux HOWTOs are copyrighted by their authors. You are free to distribute verbatim copies of HOWTOs in any medium, provided that the copyright notice and authorship remains intact. -- Send submissions for comp.os.linux.announce to: linux-announce@tc.cornell.edu ------------------------------ ** FOR YOUR REFERENCE ** The service address, to which questions about the list itself and requests to be added to or deleted from it should be directed, is: Internet: Linux-Admin-Request@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU You can send mail to the entire list (and comp.os.linux.admin) via: Internet: Linux-Admin@NEWS-DIGESTS.MIT.EDU Linux may be obtained via one of these FTP sites: nic.funet.fi pub/OS/Linux tsx-11.mit.edu pub/linux sunsite.unc.edu pub/Linux End of Linux-Admin Digest ******************************