Linux Gazette... making Linux just a little more fun! Copyright © 1996-98 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. _________________________________________________________________ Welcome to Linux Gazette! (tm) _________________________________________________________________ Published by: Linux Journal _________________________________________________________________ Sponsored by: InfoMagic S.u.S.E. Red Hat LinuxMall Linux Resources Mozilla cyclades Our sponsors make financial contributions toward the costs of publishing Linux Gazette. If you would like to become a sponsor of LG, e-mail us at sponsor@ssc.com. Linux Gazette is a non-commercial, freely available publication and will remain that way. Show your support by using the products of our sponsors and publisher. _________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents December 1998 Issue #35 _________________________________________________________________ * The Front Page * The MailBag + Help Wanted + General Mail * More 2 Cent Tips * News Bytes + News in General + Software Announcements * The Answer Guy, by James T. Dennis * Basic Emacs, by Paul Anderson * Creating A Linux Certification, Part 3, by Dan York * 1998 Editor's Choice Awards, by Marjorie Richardson * Happy Hacking Keyboard, by Jeremy Dinsel * Getting Started with Linux, by Prakash Advani * The GNOME Project, by Miguel de Icaza * IMAP on Linux: A Practical Guide, by David Jao * Linux Installation Primer, Part 4, by Ron Jenkins * Linux - the Darling of COMDEX 1998?, by Norman M. Jacobowitz * My Hard Disk's Resurrection, by René Tavera * New Release Reviews, by Larry Ayers + Two Small Personal Databases for Linux * Product Review: Partition Magic 4.0, by Ray Marshall * Quick and Dirty RAID Infromation, by Eugene Blanchard * The Back Page + About This Month's Authors + Not Linux The Answer Guy The Muse will return next month. _________________________________________________________________ TWDT 1 (text) TWDT 2 (HTML) are files containing the entire issue: one in text format, one in HTML. They are provided strictly as a way to save the contents as one file for later printing in the format of your choice; there is no guarantee of working links in the HTML version. _________________________________________________________________ Got any great ideas for improvements? Send your comments, criticisms, suggestions and ideas. _________________________________________________________________ This page written and maintained by the Editor of Linux Gazette, gazette@ssc.com "Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!" _________________________________________________________________ The Mailbag! Write the Gazette at gazette@ssc.com Contents: * Help Wanted -- Article Ideas * General Mail _________________________________________________________________ Help Wanted -- Article Ideas _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 21:08:28 -0800 From: Ted, brwood@worldstar.com Subject: printing issues as users I have the following problem that nobody seems to give me a good answer to. If I print as root, everything is good. If I try to print as a user I get "lpr: connect error, permission denied" "jobs queued, but daemon could not be started' This is under Red hat 5.1. Any tips ? -- Ted Brockwood _________________________________________________________________ Date: Mon, 2 Nov 1998 19:34:49 GMT FROM: richard.c.hodges@lineone.net SUBJECT: Help Wanted! I have a PII (350MHz) running with an AGP ATI 3DRage graphics card (which works fine) and a Sound Blaster 16 PnP (which also works fine). But, I'd be buggered if I can get my internal SupraExpress 56k modem to work. I have set the port (cua2 - COM3 in Windows) to IRQ11 (as it is under Mr. Gates' OS) and the memory but it won't work. I tried changing the modem initialization strings and still nothing. Minicom says that there is no connection (!?). If someone can help me, I would be most grateful as I want to use Netscape under X because I want to use less of Windows because it's no good and expensive and hey, who likes expensive stuff eh? Thanks for your time -- Richard Hodges _________________________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 11:47:43 +0100 From: Carlo Vinante, Vinante@igi.pd.cnr.it Subject: K6-2 Troubles on Linux First I would thanks all the people and Linux Gazette who answered me in a my previous mail. I've another request to do now ..... that is : I've upgraded my system from a K5 @ 133 MHz to a K6-2 3D @ 266 MHz processor ... and, as wrote on the Linux HOWTOs "... with the older version of K6 we have to disabled the cache memory ... ". So, my fault was that I didn't read the HOWTO prior to buy the new processor, but I'm asking to myself if "... is really a K6-2 an "older" version of K6 family ... " ? The system runs anyway, but is a 'little slow' :-( Is the cache disabling the only way to fix this problem ? If not, which kind of K6, I can 'safely' use ? Thanks in advance to all the Linux people. Have Fun :) -- Carlo Vinante _________________________________________________________________ Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 12:51:31 +0530 From: Prakash Advani, prakash@bom5.vsnl.net.in Subject: Questions I'm interested in setting up Sendmail so that it routes mail over the Internet for users who are not on the system. What I have done is setup a Web site and a Linux server on my Intranet. Both have the same domain name. I can download mail and distribute it internally using fetchmail and procmail. I can also send mails to users on the Internet as well as users within the network. What I would like Sendmail to do is check if the user is a valid user on the system. If so it should deliver the mail internally, otherwise it should route the mail over the Internet. Any help would be greatly appreciated. -- Prakash _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 19:01:02 +0000 From: Roberto Urban, roberto.urban@uk.symbol.com Subject: Help Wanted - Installation On Single Floppy My problem seems to be very simple yet I am struggling to solve it. I am trying to have a very basic installation of Linux on a single 1.44MB floppy disk and I cannot find any documents on how to do that. My goal is to have just one floppy with the kernel, TCP/IP, network driver for 3COM PCMCIA card, Telnet daemon, so I could demonstrate our RF products (which have a wireless Ethernet interface - 802.11 in case you are interested) with just a laptop PC and this floppy. I have found several suggestions on how to create a compressed image on a diskette but the problem is how to create and install a _working_ system on the same diskette, either through a RAM disk or an unused partition. The distribution I am currently using is Slackware 3.5. I would appreciate every help in this matter. -- Roberto Urban _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sat, 07 Nov 1998 13:01:39 +0100 From: Bob Cloninger, bobcl@ipa.net Subject: Dual HP Ethernet 10/100VG These are PCI controllers that seem to have some ISA characteristics. Everything I found said multiple PCI controllers could share a single driver, but that apparently isn't the case for this controller. I was never able to force the probe for the second card. The first two (alias) lines were added by the X-Windows configuration, and I added the two (options) lines to /etc/conf.modules. alias eth0 hp100 alias eth1 hp100 options eth0 -o hp100-0 options eth1 -o hp100-1 "eth1" popped right up on the next reboot. This is well documented for ISA controllers, but I couldn't find it associated with PCI anywhere. Desperation + trial and error... I'm an experienced system administrator, but new to Linux. Is this something I overlooked in the documentation or web sites? -- Bob Cloninger _________________________________________________________________ Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 13:45:44 +0100 From: Tony Grant, tg001@dial.oleane.com Subject: ISDN on Linux I am looking for help from a person who has an ISDN connection running on Red Hat 5.1, 2.0.35, Intel (K6 -2) with USR sportster internal card. I have managed to run ISDN on both S.u.S.E. and Red Hat but since I have upgraded my machines from P166 to AMD K6-2 300 MHz it doesn't work anymore... -- Tony Grant _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 15:33:18 -0500 From: terrence.yurejchu, ktwy@dragonbbs.com Subject: So How do I get the most from Linux I have made an extensive, and personal (money-wise) commitment to Microsoft and Windows and ... (from MS). I can say I am not entirely pleased, but then I began in the days of CP/M and never enjoyed the MS flavor to it. I like the idea of Unix/Linux but I do have all this software that is for the MSWin platform. 1. Do I have to give it all up? 2. I know that Sun had/(have) a software that enabled Unix to run MSWin software, anything like that available for Linux? Thanks, Terry Yurejchuk (There is a project called WINE that allows you to run some Windows software on Linux. Unfortunately, it's way behind. However, Corel seems to be backing getting it more up to date so this may change soon. Also, you can set up your computer to run both Windows and Linux using LILO to pick which operating system to run when you log on, or you can network the two systems using Samba. So no need to give up anything. --Editor) _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 15:56:27 -0700 (MST) From: Michael J. Hammel, mjhammel@graphics-muse.org Subject: Re: graphics for disabled In a previous message, Pierre LAURIER says: I'm just a new user of Linux, without too much time to consider learning it. I'm just having a quick question : Do you know of specific developments that have been made on X environments (KDE, GNOME or others) that are giving specific features for visually impaired people. No, I don't know of anything like this thats specifically planned for the desktop designs. - control of the pointer device with the keyboard You can do that now if you use the IBM "mouse" - the little post thats placed right in the keyboard. But that depends on your definition of "control". If what you're really looking for is to use the tab key, for example, to move from application to application then you can already do that with some window managers. Then the applications need to have proper traversal configuration (done in the source code, not from the user's perspective) to allow movement of keyboard focus within the application. - customizing the pointer with any kind of shape, color...etc Doable, but I don't know to what level KDE or GNOME supports this. It would have to be done in the Window Manager in order for it to be applicable to all applications. - features that help retrieve the cursor on the screen (key stroke, blinking etc...) I take it you mean "find it" - make it stand out visually so you can tell where its at. Again, this would be a function of the window manager. None of them currently do anything like this. At least not that I know of. - instant zooming of the screen (by function key for example) This would be a function of the X server, not the window manager or GNOME or KDE. None of the X servers have a "zoom" per se, but they all support on the fly resolution switching via the keyboard. - changing screen color/ resolution etc on the fly Resolution switching can be done with CTRL-ALT-BACKSPACE with the Xi Graphics server. I think XFree86 does the same. But with either you have to configure the server properly for this to work properly. I don't use this feature so couldn't explain how its done. By "changing color" I take it to mean the color of the background and/or borders/frames around windows. This would be a function of the window manager. CDE (a commercial environment that uses the Motif Window Manager, aka mwm) supports this. I don't think any other window managers support it just yet but they might. and I'm just here mentioning feature for disabled people, not for blind ones. But one way or the other the IT community needs to remember that computer can be a fantastic tool also for these peoples. True. The problem is finding someone who both understands what the issues are and has an interest in doing the work (or organizing the work to be done, either by the OSS community or by commercial vendors). I'm sorry I was taking this time, if you're not a person that can help here, just pass along this message to anyone that could help. I'll forward this reply to the Linux Gazette. They'll probably post it and maybe someone with better information than I will contact you. -- Michael J. Hammel _________________________________________________________________ Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 07:33:32 -0800 From: Sergio E. Martinez, sergiomart@csi.com Subject: article idea I'm just writing in with an idea for a quick article. I've been using the GNOME desktop. I'm a relative Linux newbie though, and I think that many of your less experienced readers could probably benefit from a short article about window managers. These are some things I currently don't quite understand: 1. Terminology: The differences (if any) among a GUI, a window manager, a desktop, and an interface. How do they differ from X windows? 2. Do all window managers (like GNOME or KDE or FVWM95) run on top of X windows? 3. What exactly does it mean for an application to be GNOME or KDE aware? What happens if it's not? Can you still run it? 4. What exactly do the GTK+ (for GNOME) or Troll (for KDE) libraries do? 5. How does the history of Linux (or UNIX) window managers compare to that of say, the desktop given to Win98/95 users? How, specifically, does Microsoft limit consumer's choices by giving them just one kind of desktop, supposedly one designed for ease of use? 6. What's happening with Common Desktop Environment? Is it correct that it's not widely adopted among Linux users because it's a resource hog, or not open source? These are some questions that might make an enlightening, short article. Thank you for your consideration. -- Sergio E. Martinez _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 08:52:09 +0200 From: Volkan Kenaroglu, volkan@sim.net.tr Subject: I couldn't install my sound card :) I am new on using Linux. Recently installed Debian 1.3 on my system both at work and home. But I couldn't install my sound-card (Opti-931) even though it says Debian 1.3 support the card. Actually during the installation it did not ask me if I've sound card on my computer. Nor dit it detect. :( Please help me. -- Volkan _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 14:27:43 +0800 From: ngl@gdd.cednet.gov.cn Subject: whether Xircom is supported? I install Red Hat5.1 in notebook computer which has Xircom card,but in Red Had5.1,no Xircom driver, I want to known whether Red Hat5.2 supports this card. Thanks! _________________________________________________________________ Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 17:06:47 +1300 From: Maximum Internet, lakejoy@wk.planet.gen.nz Subject: PPP Linux list We unsubscribed to the PPP Linux list but are still receiving the mail even though we received a reply saying that our unsubscribing was successful. What do we do? Thank you _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 09:56:16 +0100 (MET) From: Gregor Gerstmann (s590039), gerstman@tfh-berlin.de Subject: Linking I would appreciate, if somebody would write something about linking separately translated Fortran and C programs (don't ask me why), with 1. main in Fortran 2. main in C. Another problem is, that after some installations, at shutdown I always get: 'locale not supported by C library, locale unchanged'. Something similar I get when I translate an .rpm into an .tgz file with alien. -- Gregor _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 14:52:05 +0000 From: "Dicer", Dicer@crosswinds.net Subject: Help wanted: ATX Powerdown How is it possible to shutdown my atx-motherboard under linux instead of doing a reboot or halt? Any sources or programs known? -- Felix Knecht _________________________________________________________________ General Mail _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sun, 1 Nov 1998 20:05:53 -0500 From: Ed Roper, eroper@hrfn.net Subject: Securing your system? Regarding the article in the Nov 1998 issue of Linux Gazette, entitled "Securing Your System": What are you guys doing in the editing dept.? Since when did "TELNET" read the .rhosts file? One can accept this typo if it appeared maybe once, but it occurred several times. This is perhaps one of the worst cases of misinformation I have ever seen in a computer-related article. (Sorry about that. Perhaps you don't realize but there are no "guys in the editing" department. Articles are posted as they come without fee or warranty. If there is a mistake, someone usually lets us know, as you have, and we print the correcting letter. You are the only one who wrote about this particular article. Thanks. --Editor) _________________________________________________________________ Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 12:07:52 -0800 From: Dave Stevens, dstevens@mail.bulkley.net Subject: Dan Helfman I am a computer dealer with a strong interest in Unix as an operating system, in Linux as a very good Unix implementation, and a regular reader of the Linux Gazette web site. In the November issue at www.linuxgazette.com is a reference to a series of postings at http://www.nerdherd.net/oppression/9810/ucla.shtml. These postings detail an issue that has arisen with Mr. Dan Helfman's use of your residence network facilities. Not having any other information, I am proceeding on the assumption that the statements made there are accurate. If, indeed, they are accurate, I am afraid they portray UCLA's administration in a damn poor light. Arbitrariness, secretiveness, powermongering and really outstanding stupidity seem to characterize the administration's motives and actions, while Mr. Helfman appears to have conducted himself with both taste and restraint. I am a university person myself and I must say I had rather hoped the kind of bullshit I had to deal with in my own student days had been improved on in the intervening decades. How unfortunate that UCLA has learned nothing. You ought to restore a network connection to Mr. Helfman immediately and tender him a public apology now. If my information is wrong or some reasonable solution has developed, no-one would be happier than I. Dave Stevens _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 13:28:59 +0100 From: Francois Heizmann, francois_heizmann@hp.com Subject: Comments for improvements? In the main page you're requesting "great" ideas for improvements... Well ! I'm sad to say you did a perfect job... :-) Please keep on going that way. Cheers, Francois Heizmann _________________________________________________________________ Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 22:51:52 -0700 From: Evelyn Mitchell, efm@tummy.com Subject: Linux Demonstration at Park Meadows CompUSA This afternoon, Kevin Cullis, Business Account Manager at the Denver Park Meadows CompUSA, graciously invited several Northern Colorado Linux advocates and consultants to help him set up a demonstration Linux system. Attending were Lynn Danielson of CLUE, George Sowards, Brent Beerman, Fran Schneider, Alan Robertson of the High Availability Linux Project, and Sean Reifchneider and I of tummy.com, and Pete who has been advocating Linux to Kevin for several years. Kevin started out describing some of the opportunities he sees for Linux in small and home offices, and was quite enthusiastic about using Linux as a tool to leverage information in Intranets, Internets, and Extranets (VPNs). We discussed the strengths and weaknesses of Linux as a desktop machine, particularly the different style of administration required between Windows or Macintoshes and Linux, and the ways in which the Linux community, particularly Wine, is moving closer to achieving binary compatibility with Wintel applications. We also discussed how reliability is the biggest selling factor for those power users who are sick of the Blue Screen of Death. We installed Red Hat 5.2 using server mode as a fresh install first, and Kevin was absolutely delighted with how simple it was. Three questions and 20 minutes. While the applications were loading for Red Hat, Sean hooked up the machine we brought loaded with Red Hat 5.2, KDE, Enlightenment and Applix. Kevin was very impressed with KDE, I suspect because he was expecting a much different interface. He could see selling a KDE system to someone who had only used Windows or Macintoshes without any problem. We then installed Caldera 1.3 on the first machine, as a dual boot. The installation was only slightly more complicated than the Red Hat server mode. This is only the beginning of the journey, though. Lynn Danielson will be guiding Kevin through the basics of administering and demonstrating these systems. On December 10th many of the participants today will be meeting again at the Boulder Linux Users Group Mini-Expo to get a look a much broader range of Linux applications. As Sean said, a good Saturday of advocacy. Evelyn Mitchell _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 11:06:59 +0000 From: Harry Drummond, in4831@wlv.ac.uk Subject: re: Linux easy/not easy/not ready/ready YIKES I have a lot of sympathy with Tim Gray's remarks on the intelligence of the user, but (inevitably) I also have reservations. I'm not a computer professional of any kind, but I bought a BBC computer way back in 1983 and taught myself to program. I then learned two other flavors of Basic, then QuickBasic, and currently Delphi for a hobby application I've been selling since 1989. I also taught myself HTML (and taught others afterwards). And while I haven't yet got to grips with Linux because the latest version of my application is due out again, I have the two versions of Linux recently distributed on UK magazines and I'm at least 90% confident of installing it. The other 10% will be the challenge. But in common with many users, I apply the maxim "when all else fails read the manual" (ironic when I write a manual for my own application). As a result, I have spent months programming things that I then learned could have been done much more simply *if I'd only known the command.* Well, at the time I didn't! And the very wealth of material can be a hindrance if you cannot yet slot all the bits into the right place in your mind. It's also enormously frustrating to work with manuals, etc. (when you *do* read them!), that gloss over the particular point that causes trouble. In some cases, the problem is more imaginary than real - but it's real enough to the beginner until he/she cracks it. I work in a University Library where we do our best to get students using computers. Some need only a hint, some will never understand more than a tiny fragment. But we've produced the briefest handouts we can (1 sheet of paper) and still had the student begging for help when the answer was plainly written in the handout clutched in their fingers. People commonly want people for help, not documents. Finally, some people don't want education, they want to cut straight to the answers. If we're honest, we all do it at different times. I've got stacks of software that came on magazine discs. Unless they really fascinate me, the only ones likely to survive a five-minute exploration are those that convince me I can make them work with minimum effort. With me, as with many users, it isn't intelligence that's in question, it's commitment to the task in hand. And that determines whether the user is into exploration and education, or just picking up a work-ready tool for an hour. I'll see you with my newbie questions shortly! -- Harry Drummond. _________________________________________________________________ Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 10:07:36 +0000 From: Harry Drummond, in4831@wlv.ac.uk Subject: Not Linux I read your remarks on Jonathan Creek with interest, but appreciate them while you can. They only make about 6 episodes at a time, with (I think) two series in all so far. I suspect the concept was a one-off series to test the water and was successful enough to do more. My wife and I (as ordinary viewers) are confidently looking forward to a third series in due course, but we've seen some very promising ideas survive only one series. Britain also has a large percentage of viewers who would quickly switch to soaps, game shows, or - if they stretched themselves - Dallas et al. That does tend to kill shows that have promise but need to build. Things like Jonathan Creek, Morse and so forth are probably no more common on our screens than they are on yours. But you *are* right about beautiful people. Using 'ordinary' people has the downside of making the programmes look more ordinary to us, but more closely linked to reality as well. For viewers abroad, of course, there is always an exotic flavour as well - something the native (in any culture) usually misses. Happy viewing! Harry Drummond _________________________________________________________________ Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 00:41:51 +0000 From: "I.P. Robson", dragonfish@messages.to Subject: Link : Cheers.. I just want to say that's a really sexy link at the top of the index page... and even I can't miss it now... Hopefully I'll never forget to download an issue now.. And even though you already know I think you guys are the best, I have to tell you again.... Thanks :) Pete Robson _________________________________________________________________ Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 12:54:46 -0800 From: Geoffrey Dann, gdann@nfesc.navy.mil Subject: Telnet vs Rlogin In issue 34, article "Securing Your Linux Box", the author mentions TELNET using the .rhosts file. In the few systems I've used (BSD4, SunOs, Solaris, Linux), "rlogin" uses the .rhosts file, but "telnet" does not. Other than that, great article! thanks.. -- Geoff _________________________________________________________________ Published in Linux Gazette Issue 35, December 1998 _________________________________________________________________ [ TABLE OF CONTENTS ] [ FRONT PAGE ] Next This page is maintained by the Editor of Linux Gazette, gazette@ssc.com Copyright © 1998 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. "Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!" _________________________________________________________________ More 2¢ Tips! Send Linux Tips and Tricks to gazette@ssc.com _________________________________________________________________ Contents: * NumLock - On at Startup * Environment configuration using zsh * XWindow servers for MS PCs * Simultaneous color depths for X * Netscape * Hard Disk Duplication - Update * Back Ups * ANSWER: Re: suggestion for Linux security feature * ANSWER: Re: How to add disk space to Red Hat 5.1? * ANSWER: Re: Win95 peer-to-peer vs. Linux server running Samba * ANSWER: Re: Single IP Address & Many Servers. Possible? * ANSWER: Re: Help Modem+HP * ANSWER: Re: Suggestion for Linux security features _________________________________________________________________ NumLock - On at Startup Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 09:37:58 -0500 From: Brian Trapp, bmtrapp@acsu.buffalo.edu Here's a 2 cent tip for others trying to turn NumLock on at startup (I'm using Red Hat 5.1, Linux 2.0.34) Dennis van Dok wrote in to let us know there's a program called "setleds" that will handle this kind of activity. The "Linux FAQ" http://theory.uwinnipeg.ca/faqs/section7.html#q_7_10 has this to say about how to set this up automatically. Question 7.10. How do I get NUM LOCK to default to on ? Use the setleds program, for example (in /etc/rc.local or one of the /etc/rc.d/* files): for t in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 do setleds +num < /dev/tty$t > /dev/null done setleds is part of the KDB package (see Q7.9 `How do I remap my keyboard to UK, French, etc. ?'). Alternatively, patch your kernel. You need to arrange for KBD_DEFLEDS to be defined to (1 << VC_NUMLOCK) when compiling drivers/char/keyboard.c. Steve Head also wrote in saying he thought there was a setting in the X11 configuration file to change this, but I haven't had a chance to try that yet. Again -- the Linux community comes through. Thanks to all who helped. Brian Trapp _________________________________________________________________ Environment configuration using zsh Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 02:27:39 +0100 From: Gerard Milmeister, gemi@bluewin.ch It may happen that I want to use a software package which includes lots of binaries, sometimes even hundreds of them as is the case with BRLCAD. These packages live in their own directories, for example /usr/local/brlcad/bin, /usr/local/brlcad/lib etc. I don't want to cp, mv or ln the binaries in a common place like /usr/local/bin as they would clutter up these directories and, more important, name clashes can arise. Furthermore these packages require environment variables to be set, and it would be cumbersome to configure these in a personal .zshrc file. The following method using zsh may help to quickly set up an environment appropriate for the specific package. The idea is, that calling a script, e.g. brlcad_setup, living in a common place, will make a new instance of shell properly set up. Using zsh it is possible to modularize the configuration, such that it is possible build up a general configuration tool. Example: In the directory /usr/local/brlcad I put the following shell script, linked into /usr/local/bin: brlcad_setup: #!/bin/sh export BRLCADHOME=3D/usr/local/brlcad # (*) export PATH=3D$BRLCADHOME/bin:$PATH # (*) export MANPATH=3D$BRLCADHOME/man # (*) export ZDOTDIR=3D/usr/local/lib/zsh # (**) export PSNAME=3Dbrlcad # (**) exec zsh # (1) (**) In /usr/local/lib/zsh there is a replacement .zshenv file: . ~HOME/.zshrc export PSLOCAL=3D$PSNAME:$PSLOCAL PS1="[$PSLOCAL%n]:%~:$" This is called at (1) in place of the user's .zshenv and will set up the prompt, so that the user is able to see in what environment he works. The lines (*) are the customization for the particular package. The lines (**) can be used as a template for other configuration scripts, with PSNAME set to the name of the package. I have created scripts for gpm (Modula-2 compiler, name clash with the console mouse driver), brlcad and bmrt. Example session: [gemi]:~:$brlcad_setup = [brlcad:gemi]:~:$bmrt_setup = [bmrt:brlcad:gemi]:~:$gpm_setup = [gpm:bmrt:brlcad:gemi]:~:$exit [bmrt:brlcad:gemi]:~:$exit [brlcad:gemi]:~:$exit [gemi]:~:$ At each level, the PATH configuration and other environment variables are available for the packages displayed in the prompt, and will disappear as soon as a shell is exited. -- Gerard _________________________________________________________________ XWindow servers for MS PCs Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1998 17:09:58 +1300 From: Mark Inder, mark@tts.co.nz A while ago I inquired about X Windows servers for PC's so that I could run my Linux GUI on my PC for administration etc.. I got about 32 replies. Great support! I have summarized the replies here in case anybody else is interested. I tried the MI/X and VNC. I found MI/X tricky and not very solid, and VNC to be amazingly flexible. Try viewing your own desktop from another PC while viewing that PC's desktop. Replies: * XAppeal from ftp://ftp.xtreme.it/pub/xappeal * There's a freeware X server at http://www.microimages.com/ * $99 XwinPro, http://www.labf.com/ * StarNet Communications Corporation, http://www.starnet.com/ * Yahoo has a Page that has links to various X servers (Mix and Starnet ones are listed here also): http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Software/Platforms/X_W indow_System/ * try the list at http://www.rahul.net/kenton/xsites.html#XMicrosoft * There are all kinds of shareware X servers for win32, take a look at http://www.winfiles.com for a listing. The best server you'll probably find is Hummingbird Software's eXceed. * Try looking for a product called XWIN32, it's not shareware but it is quite cheap ( compared to exceed and the like ). * Try getting the demo X-Win32 from http://www.starnet.com/ * Here you will find a lot of info about X: http://www.rahul.net/kenton/xsites.framed.html * Check http://www.starnet.com/ and poke "Product Demos" -- Mark Inder _________________________________________________________________ Simultaneous color depths for X Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 16:47:34 -0500 From: Adam Williams, awillia1@chuma.cas.usf.edu With this technique you can run several X servers simultaneously with different color depths. This comes in handy for interoperating programs that only support a few color depths or previewing images in different color depths, all without quitting the current session or so much as opening a Control Panel. Create a startx file for every bit depth called startx8, startx16, or startx24. Give yourself execute permission on those. In each startx file put the following, which is a slightly modified version of the default startx: #!/bin/sh bindir=/usr/X11R6/bin userclientrc=$HOME/.xinitrc userserverrc=$HOME/.xserverrc sysclientrc=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xinitrc sysserverrc=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/xserverrc clientargs="" serverargs="" display=:0 depth=8 if [ -f $userclientrc ]; then clientargs=$userclientrc else if [ -f $sysclientrc ]; then clientargs=$sysclientrc fi fi if [ -f $userserverrc ]; then serverargs=$userserverrc else if [ -f $sysserverrc ]; then serverargs=$sysserverrc fi fi whoseargs="client" while [ "x$1" != "x" ]; do case "$1" in /''*|\.*) if [ "$whoseargs" = "client" ]; then clientargs="$1" else serverargs="$1" fi ;; --) whoseargs="server" ;; *) if [ "$whoseargs" = "client" ]; then clientargs="$clientargs $1" else serverargs="$serverargs $1" case "$1" in :[0-9]) display="$1" ;; esac fi ;; esac shift done serverargs="$serverargs $display -auth $HOME/.Xauthority -bpp $depth" mcookie=`mcookie` xauth add $display . $mcookie xauth add `hostname -f`$display . $mcookie echo "xinit $clientargs -- $serverargs" exec xinit $clientargs -- $serverargs Change the display and depth variables to different numbers for every startx file. For example:b4 For an 8 bit server set depth=8 and display=:0 For a 16 bit server set depth=16 and display=:1 For a 24 bit server set depth=24 and display=:2 You can even have several startx files for the same bit depth as long as the display variables are different. Now you can start up an 8 bit server with startx8. Open an xterm and type startx16 to get a 16 bit server without quitting the 8 bit server. You can switch between servers using the Ctrl-Alt-F keys. _________________________________________________________________ Netscape Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:25:13 -0600 From: Jim Kaufman, hsijmk@harmonic.com You recently published the following tip: Nevertheless, Netscape seems to create a directory nsmail in the user's home directory every time it starts and doesn't find it, even if mail is not used. This is annoying. Here's a trick which doesn't make this directory go away, but at least makes it invisible. I didn't find a GUI equivalent to change this setting so you have to do the following: Edit the file ~/.netscape/preferences.js and change all occurrences of 'nsmail' to '.netscape'. The important thing here is, of course, the leading dot before 'netscape'. My recommendation is to edit ~/.netscape/preferences.js and change the occurrences of 'nsmail' to '~/Mail' That way, netscape can display mail if I choose, or I can use another mail reader (elm, mutt, pine, etc.) configured to use the same directory. -- James M. Kaufman _________________________________________________________________ Hard Disk Duplication - Update Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 23:41:06 -0800 From: Michael Jablecki, mcjablec@ucsd.edu The Ingot program did not work well for me. Power Quest has, IMHO, a superior product for less money -- drive image. Good stuff! http://www.powerquest.com -- Michael _________________________________________________________________ Back Ups Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 03:46:10 +0000 From: Anthony Baldwin, ab@spkypc.demon.co.uk Here's my two cent tip: Disk space is relatively cheap, so why not buy a small drive say 500Meg which is used for holding just the root /lib /bin /sbin directories. Then setup a job to automatically back this up to another drive using "cp -ax" (and possibly pipe it through gzip and tar). This way when the unthinkable happens and you loose something vital, all you have to do is boot from floppy mount the 2 drives and do a copy. This has just saved my bacon while installing gnu-libc2 -- Anthony Baldwin _________________________________________________________________ Tips in the following section are answers to questions printed in the Mail Bag column of previous issues. _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: suggestion for Linux security feature Date: Sun, 01 Nov 1998 01:10:10 -0700 From: Warren Young, tangent@cyberport.com In regards to a letter you wrote to the Linux Gazette: A. only that user could access their own cache, cookies, pointer files, etc. I will first assume that you already have the computer basically secured: you are not logging in as "root" except to maintain the system, and the "regular user" account you are using does not have permission to write files to any other area of the hard disc than your own home directory. (I will ignore the "temporary" and other "public" directories.) The first step is to set the security permissions on your home directory and its subdirectories. I won't go into the details here (that's best left to a good introductory Linux text), but you can have the system disallow other users from reading and/or listing the contents of your directories, as well as disallowing write access. (Under Red Hat Linux 5.0, the default is to disallow others _all_ access to your home directory, but subdirectories you later create aren't protected in this way.) Do the same for your existing files. Next, learn to use the "umask" command. (This command is part of your shell -- find out what your "login shell" is, and then read its manual to find info about this command.) The umask command sets the "default file permissions" for new files. For example, you can make the system create new files and directories such that only you can read them or write to them. One other thing you should look into is an encrypting file system driver. I seem to recall hearing of such a thing for Linux, but I can't recall any details. I do not know how deleted files could be safeguarded in this way It's possible to patch the OS so that the "unlink()" system call always overwrites the file with zeros or something before it removes the file from the file system. That would make the system run slower at times, but that might be a worthwhile tradeoff for you. That should be a fairly easy change to make to the kernel, given that the source code is available. If you don't know how to do this and are unwilling to learn, try asking on the Net for someone to do this for you. You can probably find someone who's willing just because it's an interesting thing to do. B. these files - the whole lot of them - could be scrubbed, wiped, obliterated (that's why it's important for them to be in a known and findable place) by their owner, without impairing the function of the applications or the system, and without disturbing similar such files for other users. You list as criteria (to paraphrase) "without disturbing the system for others", so the kernel idea above wouldn't work. Instead, you would probably want a utility to do the same thing as the kernel idea: overwrite the file (perhaps multiple times) with junk, and then remove it. This, again, shouldn't be too hard to write, and I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't already exist. Such things already exist for most other operating systems.... You could even make it a fancy drag-and-drop X Windows application so you just drag files to it like a Mac/Win95 "trash can" and it securely deletes the file. C. it would be nice too if there were a way to prevent the copying of certain files, and that would include copying by backup programs (for example, I'm a Mac user and we use Retrospect to back up some of our Macintoshes; there's a feature to suppress the backing up of a particular directory by having a special character (a "bullet", or optn-8) at the beginning or end of the directory name.) But if this could be an OS-level feature, it would be stronger. This sort of feature does not belong in the operating system because "backup" is not part of the operating system, it's an add-on. The reason that it's an add-on is because you want to allow each individual to choose their own backup solution based on their own needs, desires and preferences. I may want to use the BRU backup program, while another might prefer "afio", and a third person may be a raving "tar" fan. The point is, it's not part of the OS, so several different backup programs have emerged, each with a different style and feature list. The price of this freedom and flexibility is that a feature like "don't back this file up" is something that each program will implement differently. It can't be part of the OS under this model, and I don't think we want to change this. If I'm user X, and I want to get rid of my computer, or get rid of everything that's mine on the computer, I should just be able to delete all of my data files (and burn them or wipe them or otherwise overwrite that area of the disk), which I can surely do today. But in addition, I should know where to go to do the same thing with whatever system level files might be out there, currently unbeknownst to me, and be able to expunge them also, without affecting anything for anyone else. The safest method is to erase the hard disk with a "government level wipe" program. Many of these exist for DOS -- you can create a DOS disk for the sole purpose of booting up and wiping your system. Then, install a fresh copy of the OS. This is the only way you can be sure that everything sensitive is off of the machine. The only other option is for you to learn where all of the "individual configuration" files are kept -- that is, those files that make your setup unique. Following the security suggestions above can help, because then applications can't store something where you can't find it -- the OS won't let it, and thus everything is either under your home directory, or somewhere you put it as "root". But, you may miss a file, so the "wipe the HD" is the only foolproof method. Good luck, Warren -- http://www.cyberport.com/~tangent/ _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: How to add disk space to Red Hat 5.1? Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 20:43:35 -0800 (PST) From: R Garth Wood, rgwood@peace.netnation.com 0 init 1 1 mount your drive on /mnt **(see below) 2 cp -dpR /usr /mnt 3 umount /mnt 4 mount your drive on /usr 5 init 2 6 rejoice ** recompile your kernel. make sure you have the options needed in the HOWTO: http://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/mini/ZIP-Drive -- R Garth Wood _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: Win95 peer-to-peer vs. Linux server running Samba Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 20:36:15 -0800 (PST) From: R Garth Wood, rgwood@peace.netnation.com The advantages are: * It won't go down * You don't have to use a good machine * you can print from UNIX as well * you can do other things on it as well -- R Garth Wood _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: Single IP Address & Many Servers. Possible? Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 20:27:50 -0800 (PST) From: R Garth Wood, rgwood@peace.netnation.com Look into the programs "redir" and "rinetd". -- R Garth Wood _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: Help Modem+HP Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 03:24:36 -0800 From: "David P. Pritzkau", pritzkau@leland.Stanford.EDU In issue 33 of the Linux Gazette you wrote: I have already spent hours trying to fix my Supra336 PnP internal modem and my HP DeskJet 720C under Linux! The result is always the same, no communication with the modem and no page printed on the HP printer! Could someone help me, I am close to abandon! I've had the same problem with the HP820 printer. It turns out that the '20 series printers use a protocol called PPA unlike the PCL protocols that HP uses for its other printers. Basically Windows uses software to print to these printers. Fortunately there's somebody out there who was able to figure out some of that protocol (since HP isn't releasing any info). This person created a PPA to PBM converter to allow printing under Linux. Right now you can only print in black and white, but that's better than nothing. If you are shopping for a printer and plan to use Linux, you should avoid the '20 series HP printers like the plague. Here's the URL where you can find more info about the converter and download it. It comes with sample scripts to setup the printing. Keep in mind that you must change the 'enscript' command in the scripts to 'nenscript' because enscript is a commercial program. Also take out the '-r' switch since 'nenscript' doesn't support it. Hope this helps. http://www.rpi.edu/~normat/technical/ppa/index.html -- David P. Pritzkau _________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: Re: Suggestion for Linux security features Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 11:17:18 +0100 From: Roger Irwin, irwin@mail.com Linux already does most of what you said (example, netscape cache cookie files are kept in a .netscape file in your home that cannot be accessed by other users). As for delete, this can easily be done by a user file that opens the file for random access and writes x's everywhere before deleting. Have seen such utilities around for virtually all platforms (as it only requires ANSI C calls, you could easily write a command that compiles onto any platform. It is slow, and could be slightly improved by being done in kernel space. If you want to try, I suggest that you start by reading Alessandro Rubini's book "Writing Linux Kernel Device Drivers". This will give you an easy and gentle introduction to programming in Kernel space. Once you have got the hang of that, you should read through the documentation for the e2fs. Then implement a simple draft version. Once you have it working, post it to the Linux Kernel development mailing list, and the kernel hackers will guide you from there. DO NOT approach the kernel list with ideas you are thinking about doing. It is not that they are unresponsive, but there are a lot of Linux users and with a lot of ideas, they could easily be submerged. In order to avoid time wasters, they are forced to adopt a 'first show me the code' attitude. This is not a bad thing as when one starts to actually implement something (rather than dream about it) you begin to realize WHY it has not yet been done. Once you actually have something, even a first draft that only vaguely works, you will find kernel developers very responsive and helpful. -- Roger _________________________________________________________________ Published in Linux Gazette Issue 35, December 1998 _________________________________________________________________ [ TABLE OF CONTENTS ] [ FRONT PAGE ] Back Next _________________________________________________________________ This page maintained by the Editor of Linux Gazette, gazette@ssc.com Copyright © 1998 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. News Bytes Contents: * News in General * Software Announcements _________________________________________________________________ News in General _________________________________________________________________ January 1999 Linux Journal The January issue of Linux Journal will be hitting the newsstands December 10. This issue focuses on our Reader's and Editor's Choice awards. Included with the magazine this month is a 24-page supplement on Enterprise Solutions in which we interview Netscape's Jim Barksdale, Corel's Michael Cowpland and IBM's Paraic Sweeney. Check out the Table of Contents at http://www.linuxjournal.com/issue57/index.html. To subscribe to Linux Journal, go to http://www.linuxjournal.com/ljsubsorder.html. _________________________________________________________________ LinuxWorld Conference & Expo Boston, MA (September 30, 1998) -- International Data Group (IDG), the IT media and information company, today unveiled plans to launch a global product line of events and publications to address the needs of the rapidly growing Linux market. IDG World Expo, the world's leading producer of IT-focused conferences and expositions, will produce LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, the first international exposition addressing the business and technology issues of the Linux operating environment. IDG's Web Publishing unit, one of the first online-only IT publishers, will launch LinuxWorld, an online-only magazine for the more than seven million technologists requiring in-depth information on implementing Linux and related technologies in diverse environments. The first LinuxWorld Conference and Expo will be held March 1-4, 1999 at the San Jose Convention Center. For more information: http://www.idg.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Sun loans Ultra30 Systems to Debian Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998 14:29:56 -0500 Sun Microsystems (http://sun.com/) has loaned three UltraSPARC systems to Debian project. They are 64-bit Ultra30 workstations, each with with an UltraSPARC-II/250MHz CPU (1M-ECache), 128MB RAM, 4.3GB Seagate SCSI drive and a Creator graphics card. One system is installed at Kachina Technologies, Inc. and will be publicly available to Debian developers. The other two systems are used by developers to develop boot related packages and other low level tools. There is a port specific web page that contains information on the work in progress at http://www.debian.org/ports/sparc64/. People interested in helping with the Debian UltraLinux effort should check there for the current port status. For more information: Debian GNU/Linux, http://www.debian.org/, press@debian.org _________________________________________________________________ Dallas/Ft. Worth area Linux show Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 05:16:53 -0600 There is an online survey at http://linux.uhw.com/ to get the needs and wants of a DFW area Linux show. We want to find out what people who want to attend want in the show before we do the hardcore planning. Pass the word please to those who may want to go. For more information: Dave Stokes, david@uhw.com _________________________________________________________________ O'Reilly Announces Open Source Conferences SEBASTOPOL, CA--O'Reilly & Associates announced today that it is expanding its support of Open Source software by presenting the O'Reilly Open Source Conferences--Perl Conference 3.0 plus several new technical Conferences on mission-critical Open Source software--on August 21-24, 1999 at the Monterey Convention Center in Monterey, CA. For the first time, programmers, webmasters, and system administrators can find--under one roof--a spectrum of high-end technical sessions, presented by the key developers in each technology. In real-world applications, users draw on several Open Source technologies to get the job done. At the O'Reilly Conferences on Perl, Linux, FreeBSD, Apache, Sendmail and other Open Source technologies, attendees can move freely between Conferences, choosing from a rich panoply of sessions on these interrelated technologies. In addition, each Conference is preceded by in-depth tutorials. Linux Journal is a major sponsor of O'Reilly's Linux Conference. Publisher Phil Hughes said, "Since the early days, O'Reilly has been documenting Linux and the Open Source utilities that Linux users depend on. They're very close to the technical community, and they'll bring that inside perspective to their Linux Conference. We're looking forward to working with them." For more information: http://conferences.oreilly.com _________________________________________________________________ New Mailing List for Linux in Education Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 10:17:01 -0500 The SEUL Project (http://www.seul.org/) has started a mailing list, seul-edu, to cover all aspects of educational uses of Linux. In addition to the discussion, resources are available that should enable the development (with the help of interested volunteers) of various open source software that can make Linux more desirable to educators and parents interested in using Linux for their children's education. Currently the list is made up of educators, writers, and some developers. You can see the archives of the mailing list, as well as current plans and contacts for the project, at http://www.seul.org/archives/seul/edu/. Before the creation of seul-edu, the discussion took place on the seul-pub mailing list; you can see those discussions in the October and November archives of that list at http://www.seul.org/archives/seul/pub/. To subscribe to seul-edu, just send a message to majordomo@seul.org with no subject and with "subscribe seul-edu" in the message body. _________________________________________________________________ Linux Boot Camp Announcement Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1998 10:08:19 -0800 Four days of intensive hands-on technical training. Certification is provided for the full boot camp. Schedule: *Understanding & Administering Linux* January 12-13, 1999 San Jose, CA January 26-27, 1999 Carlsbad, CA February 1-2, 1999 Raleigh, NC February 22-23, 1999 Chicago, IL March 29-30, 1999 Dallas, TX April 20-21, 1999 Phoenix, AZ May 18-19, 1999 Atlanta, GA June 15-16, 1999 Washington, DC June 22-23, 1999 Carlsbad, CA *Integrating Linux with Windows 95/98/NT* January 14, 1999 San Jose, CA January 28, 1999 Carlsbad, CA February 3, 1999 Raleigh, NC February 24, 1999 Chicago, IL March 31, 1999 Dallas, TX April 22, 1999 Phoenix, AZ May 20, 1999 Atlanta, GA June 17, 1999 Washington DC June 24, 1999 Carlsbad, CA *Securing your Box in One Day* January 15, 1999 San Jose, CA January 29, 1999 Carlsbad, CA February 4, 1999 Raleigh, NC February 25, 1999 Chicago, IL April 1, 1999 Dallas, TX April 23, 1999 Phoenix, AZ May 21, 1999 Atlanta, GA June 18, 1999 Washington DC June 25, 1999 Carlsbad, CA For more information: Deb Murray, dmurray@surfnetusa.com http://www.uniforum.org/web/education/bootcamp.html _________________________________________________________________ Linux wins PC World Denmark award for "Innovation of the Year - Software" Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 08:59:20 GMT Linux wins PC World Denmark award for "Innovation of the Year - Software" Copenhagen, 1998-11-12 On behalf of the entire Linux community, the Skåne Sjælland Linux User Group (SSLUG) today received the PC World Denmark 'Product of the Year' award in the category "Innovation of the Year - Software". The award was accepted by Peter Toft and Henrik Størner from SSLUG. The "Innovation of the Year" award is given to products or technologies which have shown significant innovativeness and impact through out the year. PC World editors motivated their choice thus: "Linux. The 'Ugly Duckling' that turned into a beautiful swan and became - to put it briefly - the most widely used operating system for Internet servers world wide, despite the marketing muscle of the larger companies. NT has a tremendous hold on the market, but Linux is gaining new followers every day, and continues to find new uses wherever a stable, economical and versatile operating system is needed." The other two nominees in the "Innovation of the Year - Software" category were * Microsoft Windows 98 * Mirabilis ICQ For more information: Peter Toft, ptoft@sslug.dk Henrik Størner, storner@sslug.dk _________________________________________________________________ ISVs -- please join the LSB effort With the Linux standardization well on its way with the Linux Standard Base (LSB) effort headed by Daniel Quinlan, various vendors brought up the issue that there needed to be a way for independent software vendors to get their input into the standards effort. After some discussion, it was decided to add a mailing list to the LSB effort that was specifically for ISVs. This list will make it possible for ISVs to hash out what they see needed in the Linux standard and then present their joint effort to the LSB group for consideration. This approach will make it easier for LSB to meet the needs of all the vendors. If you are an ISV and want to join the list, send your e-mail address to Clarica Grove (clarica@ssc.com) with ISV in the subject line of your message. She will add you to the list and we can get our part of the effort underway. If it is unlikely we are familiar with the product you have developed, please include a brief description. For more information: Phil Hughes, phil@ssc.com _________________________________________________________________ Linux Game Development Center Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 09:39:14 GMT Linux has games. Linux has good games. But that other operating system has several orders of magnitude more good games than Linux. That's bad. And difficult to overcome, as it's not only because of technical reasons. But we, the free software community, have have a long history of solving problems and shipping around obstacles. There is no reason why we should not be able to solve this issue, too. In essence we are suggesting that this new Linux Game Development Center be a kind of meta-project. It would be dedicated to advocating Linux as gaming platform, collecting knowledge about Linux game development and using it to help all interested people, providing facilities for discussion to Linux game developers and, last but not least, encouraging and helping existing free (Open Source) game SDK projects coordinate with one another. This is also a call for developers, users and game SDK projects to join our efforts. While game development for Linux would be an important goal of the web site, the most important goal would be the development of quality cross-platform game libraries. For that reason, developers of games and game SDKs for platforms other than Linux would be more than welcome to join us. Especially if they are interested in porting software to or from Linux. The biggest problem with having multiple, competing projects is the resultant (developer and user) confusion. What we are proposing is a Linux Game Development Center that is aimed simply at reducing that confusion by helping people to find, evaluate, combine and use the available tools, or to develop new, missing ones. http://www.linuxgames.org For more information: Christian Reiniger, warewolf@mayn.de PenguinPlay, http://sunsite.auc.dk/penguinplay/ _________________________________________________________________ New benefit for LJ's GLUE LUGs--Tcl Blast! Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 21:32:13 GMT GLUE---Groups of Linux Users Everywhere announces the newest benefit for groups who join. By popular demand and in conjunction with the Tcl/Tk Consortium, SSC and Linux Journal's GLUE program is making available the TCL Blast! CD-ROM. This is the latest addition to the membership package GLUE sends out to our new LUGs members. Some of the other benefits include: the BRU 2000 backup and restore utility, and Caldera OpenLinux Lite! We provide free listings for all LUGs at our web site, where you can also: see the complete list of the GLUE benefits; find information and resources for Linux User Groups; check to see if there is a LUG in your area; post to the Users Seeking Groups part of the listings pages; or check to see that there is an accurate listing for your LUG. Please contact me if you have any questions. For more information: Clarica Grove, Groups of Linux Users Everywhere, glue@ssc.com, http://www.ssc.com/glue/ _________________________________________________________________ Linux Promoted in Albanian Fair Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 14:13:20 GMT Yesterday the KlikExpo international fair was opened in Tirana Albania. With the help of Fastech Ltd, Linux.org Albania could promote Linux for the first time in Albania. Our section was also visited by the Albanian Prime Minister. I had a brief chat with him, and described shortly the power and efficiency of Linux. Our section will be open for the next 4 days at the Tirana international fair center. Special thanks to Fastech Ltd. who made available for us an ACER PII 300MHz machine and hosted us in their section. To read more and see the pictures, please check: http://lowrent.org/lnxorgal/klikexpo98 For more information: Kledi Andoni, kledi@linux.org.al _________________________________________________________________ Open Source Trademark? I, for one, am confused. See if you can figure what's going on with these two announcements: Future of the Open Source Trademark Launch Announcement of the Open Source Initiative _________________________________________________________________ Linux Links StarOffice 5.0 Personal Edition Free: http://www.stardivision.com "An Open Letter to AOL" from Eric Raymond: http://www.opensource.org/aol-letter.html UNIX help: http://www.allexperts.com/software/unix.shtml Linux Ace: http://tarp.linuxos.org/linux/ Informix+Linux article: http://news.freshmeat.net/readmore?f=informix-jj "Liberty and Linux for All": http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/citation/wc981021.htm Tim O'Reilly, "Open Letter to Microsoft": http://oreilly.com/oreilly/press/tim_msletter.html Eiffel Liberty: http://www.elj.com/ Linux Tips & Tricks: http://www.patoche.org/LTT/ Gary's Place Linux Guide: http://gary.singleton.net/ Official GNUstep Web Site: http://home.sprintmail.com/~mhanni/gnustep/ Blender Site: http://www.BeLUG.org/user/cw/blender_e.html Eric Kahler's FVWM Web Page: http://mars.superlink.net/eric/fvwm.html The Linux Game Tome: http://gametome.linuxquake.com/ OBSIDIAN, an open source 3D virtual world for Linux and OpenGL: http://www.zog.net.au/computers/obsidian/ inux Today: http://www.linuxtoday.com/ NewsNow: http://www.newsnow.co.uk Linux Help Page: http://www.ont.com/users/d4588/ Linux Sound and MIDI Applications Page: http://sound.condorow.net/ http://sound.lovebead.com/ http://www.bright.net/~dlphilp/linux_soundapps.html MICO Home Page: http://www.mico.org/ Management Guide to Shifting Standards Tactics: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Hills/9267/sstactics.html Red Hat Press Release _________________________________________________________________ Software Announcements _________________________________________________________________ KDE on Corel's Netwinder Ottawa, Canada--November 25, 1998 Corel Computer and the KDE project today announced a technology relationship that will bring the K Desktop Environment (KDE), a sophisticated graphical user environment for Linux and UNIX, to future desktop versions of the NetWinder family of Linux-based thin-clients and thin-servers. A graphical user interface is a necessary element for Corel Computer to create a family of highly reliable, easy-to-use, easy-to-manage desktop computers. The alliance between Corel Computer and KDE, a non-commercial association of Open Source programmers, provides NetWinder users a sophisticated front-end to Linux, a stable and robust Unix-like operating system. Corel Computer has shipped a number of NetWinder DM, or development machines, to KDE developers who are helping to port the desktop environment. Corel Computer plans to announce the availability of desktop versions of the NetWinder running KDE beginning in early 1999. Early demonstrations of the port, such as the one shown at the Open Systems fair in Wiesbaden, Germany, in September, have been enthusiastically received by potential customers. As a developing partner, Corel Computer will release its work back to the KDE development community. For more information: http://www.kde.org/, press@kde.org http://www.corelcomputer.com/ _________________________________________________________________ KEYTEC Announces Expanded Magic Touch Screen Capabilities. Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 15:38:33 EST Dallas, TX -- KEYTEC announced today that the Magic Touch touch screen system will soon be LINUX compatible. Screen users will be able to operate the Magic Touch touch screen in hardware configurations utilizing the LINUX operating system to gain the advantages of smaller file size, less memory requirements and faster data access. For more information: news@magictouch.com, http://www.magictouch.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Red Hat Software releases Red Hat Linux 5.2 Research Triangle Park, NC -- November 2, 1998 -- Simplified installation, Native Software RAID support, Apache 1.3 , GIMP 1.0, and the Application CD are among the features that mark Red Hat Software's November 9 release of Red Hat Linux 5.2. A feature of Red Hat Linux 5.2's new and improved installation is the ability to automatically partition the hard drive by selecting either a workstation or server install. All of the power of the Red Hat Linux OS is still available via "custom" install. Back buttons DHCP, boot floppy creation, enhanced rescue mode and countless other tools that made 5.1 a success are all still there. For more information: http://www.redhat.com/ CORBA on LINUX Gains Momentum Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 16:24:32 -0500 Framingham, MA - Programmers and end-users can now obtain implementations of the Object Management Group's (OMG's) Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) for Linux. As the momentum has grown behind the open source Linux operating system, more and more OMG members have requested this support. The emergence of CORBA-conformant ORBs for Linux is an indicator of the commercial confidence and industry support for both CORBA and Linux. At Washington University, the development of the TAO ORB is being sponsored by companies and organizations including Boeing, Lucent and Motorola which recognize the value of open source models and can recognize the future commercial value of such ORBs. For more information: info@omg.org, http://www.omg.org/ Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 'Slink' Frozen Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 14:56:52 -0500 Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 'Slink' is now in a frozen state. The delay was due to the need to stabilize some key packages in the distribution. The release of Slink is scheduled for December 1998. Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 'Potato' will be the next version of the Debian distribution. The name is taken from the character 'Mr. Potato Head' in the animated movie 'Toy Story.' For more information: press@debian.org, http://www.debian.org/ _________________________________________________________________ Servertec Announces New Release of iScript, a Platform Independent Scripting Language Written Entirely in Java Kearny, NJ. - November 5, 1998 - Servertec today announced the availability of a new release of iScript, a platform independent scripting language written entirely in JavaTM for creating scalable server side object oriented n-Tier enterprise solutions. The new release includes iScriptServlet, a Java Servlet, for directly accessing iScript from any web server supporting Java Servlets. The release also includes bug fixes and updated documentation. For more information: Manuel J. Goyenechea, goya@servertec.com, http://www.servertec.com/ _________________________________________________________________ QLM Reduces Product Development Time By 1/3 Newton, Mass., November 18, 1998 Kalman Saffran Associates, Inc. (KSA), a leading developer of state-of-the-art products for data communications, telecommunications and interactive/CATV industries, today announced the availability of their new QLM, an innovative process for companies looking to reduce product time-to-market in a highly competitive marketplace. Using QLM, KSA guarantees that companies will reduce their product development cycles by at least one-third. Based on a scientific methodology derived from practices implemented for such industry leading companies as Hewlett-Packard, Cisco Systems and Nortel, KSA's QLM combines a comprehensive set of processes, techniques, tools and templates together with a knowledge base to produce optimal results for companies in a broad set of industries. The QLM offering is available starting at $20,000. For more information: Joe Bisaccio, VP Marketing, Bisaccio@worldnet.att.net, http://www.ksa-mkt.com/ _________________________________________________________________ LINUX INCLUDED IN PLANETUPLINK EXPANSION 11/11/98 PRESS RELEASE: Planet Computer nationally unveiled their newest business solution, PlanetUplink on Oct. 30th. PlanetUplink IBN (Internet Based Network) allows businesses to gain access to and share virtually any application or database simultaneously (real time) on almost any computer from their remote and multiple offices, globally, via the Internet. This week, Planet Computer announced the expansion of PlanetUplink to support Linux (server and client), in addition to the currently supported Macintosh, OS/2, UNIX (Solaris/Sparc, Solaris/x86, SGI, IBM, SCO, HP/UX, DEC, SunOS), Windows (Win95, NT, Windows CE, Win3.x), DOS and Java. For more information: Mary A. Carson, Planet Computer, mary@planetuplink.com, http://www.Planet-computer.com/ _________________________________________________________________ mcl 0.42.05 - MUD Client for Linux Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 08:50:18 GMT mcl is a small MUD client running under a Virtual Console in Linux. It uses direct VC access via the /dev/vcsa devices, spending very little CPU time (compared to tintin). This, however, allows it only to be run under Linux and only under a virtual console. New in version 0.42.05 is a number of bug fixes (actions not saving, speedwalk acting incorrectly in some situation and more) as well as support for compression of the connection (using zlib). The latter is currently only supported by Abandoned Reality (abandoned.org 4444) but we hope to have the server-side code for any MERC-derived MUD available soon. Source: http://www.andreasen.org/mcl/mcl-0.42.05-src.tar.gz Binary (libc5): http://www.andreasen.org/mcl/mcl-0.42.05-bin.tar.gz Binary (glibc): http://www.andreasen.org/mcl/mcl-0.42.05-glibc-bin.tar.gz mcl is under GPL. For more information: Erwin Andreasen, erw@dde.dk _________________________________________________________________ New release of the ISA PnP utilities (isapnptools-1.17) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 09:24:20 GMT I've now released version 1.17 of my Plug and Play ISA configuration tools. They cover isolation, dumping resource data, and configuring ISA PnP devices. The tools I wrote for this _will_ eventually be on ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/unix/linux/utils/isapnptools-1.17.tgz (81768 bytes), ftp://ftp.redhat.com/pub/pnp/utils/isapnptools-1.17.tgz and ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/system/hardware/isapnptools-1.17.tgz ftp://tsx-11.mit.edu/pub/Linux/sources/sbin/isapnptools-1.17.src.tar.g z (And various mirror sites shortly afterwards). isapnptools-1.17.lsm in the same directory is simply the LSM entry for isapnptools. isapnptools-1.17.bin.tgz in the same directory also includes precompiled binaries. I've uploaded them, but they may take a day or two to reach their final home. The latest version is available now via the link on the isapnptools home page: http://www.roestock.demon.co.uk/isapnptools/ The isapnptools FAQ is available via the home page above. For more information: Peter Fox, isapnp@roestock.demon.co.uk _________________________________________________________________ FMan 0.2 release - an X11 man page browser Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 09:36:09 GMT FMan is an X Windows manual browser based on the FLTK libraries. Source and binaries are available. The program allows fast searching for man pages by keyword. Searching may include man page descriptions where available. Searching can be performed four different ways. History lists of recently viewed pages and program based configuration are included. Keyboard only usage is supported. Changes include removal of bash dependency, pre-scanning of man pages is now an option, uninstall option, italic or underlined text, more command line options, moved resource directory. http://fman.sacredsoulrecords.com/ For more information: Larry Charlton, lcharlto@mail.coin.missouri.edu _________________________________________________________________ jaZip 0.30: Tools for Iomega Zip and Jaz drives Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 09:44:41 GMT I would like to announce version 0.30 of jaZip for Linux, a program that combines: * Setting/unsetting the write protection flag on Iomega Zip/Jaz removable media * Securely and transparently mounting/unmounting disks without root privledges * Software eject feature * Reporting status of the disk in the drive * A very attractive, easy to use graphical interface based on XForms 0.88 Details and software are available at the jaZip web site: http://www.scripps.edu/~jsmith/jazip/ For more information: Jarrod Smith, jsmith@scripps.edu _________________________________________________________________ CMU SNMP for Linux v3.6 - SNMP agent and SNMP management tools Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 12:45:03 GMT This is the documentation for the tenth release of the CMU SNMP port to Linux. This port supports SNMP version 1 (SNMPv1) and SNMP version 2 (SNMPv2). It includes a bilingual SNMPv1/SNMPv2 agent and several simple command-line management tools. This release is based on the CMU SNMP release with USEC support. It does not implement the historic party based administrative model of SNMPv2 and has no additional support for SNMPv3. The source and binary distributions are named * cmu-snmp-linux-3.6-src.tar.gz * cmu-snmp-linux-3.6-bin.tar.gz and are available from ftp.ibr.cs.tu-bs.de (134.169.34.15) in /pub/local/linux-cmu-snmp. SNMP is the Simple Network Management Protocol of the Internet. The first version of this protocol (SNMPv1) is a full Internet standard and defined in RFC 1155 and RFC 1157. The second version of SNMP (SNMPv2) is defined in RFC 1901 - RFC 1908 and is currently a draft Internet standard. For more information: http://www.gaertner.de/snmp/, schoenfr@gaertner.de _________________________________________________________________ MaduraPage 1.0 for UNIX(Linux, Solaris) Beta version Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:03:27 GMT MaduraPage[TM] 1.0 is a WYSWYG web authoring tool for creating a homepage based on applet which performs HTML functions plus additional features such as moving objects (text, image, etc.) and object exact positioning. The page created by MaduraPage[TM] 1.0 can be viewed by JDK1.0 supporting browsers, such as Netscape Navigator 3.0 or above, Internet Explorer 3.0 or above. For more information on features, demo, or to download the package, visit the MaduraSoft web site at http://www.madurasoft.com/ The release version will be available within 1 month. Please send the bug report to bug@madurasoft.com For more information: Budhi Purwanto, budhi_purwanto@madurasoft.com _________________________________________________________________ Dlite v0.03 -- Debian Lite distributon Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:07:25 GMT Dlite v0.03 is small sub-set of the Debian GNU/Linux binary packages most suited to ISPs needing a small but powerful operating system. The distribution will always be less than 100 Mb so it's possible to maintain a mirror on every host ready for any situation, from emergency rebuild through to regular maintenance updates. A singular sub-set of packages cannot be all things to all people but by having one consistent base-line reference of the most commonly used packages readily available and widely used, therefore tested, it can assist smaller startup Linux based ISP tech people to get on with managing their clients rather than just the system. This is a fledgling project so any suggestion are most welcome. For more information: http://opensrc.org/dlite/, dlite@opensrc.org _________________________________________________________________ wxWindows/GTK C++ GUI library 1.96 Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:40:55 GMT a new version of the GTK port of the wxWindows cross-platform GUI library has been released. More information from homepage at http://wesley.informatik.uni-freiburg.de/~wxxt Currently, wxWindows is available for Windows and UNIX/GTK and both the Mac and the Motif port are progressing nicely. Python bindings are available for the Windows and the GTK port. For more information: Robert Roebling, roebling@sun2.ruf.uni-freiburg.de _________________________________________________________________ ClibPDF - ANSI C Source Library for Direct PDF Generation Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 14:13:44 GMT FastIO Systems announced the availability of ClibPDF: an ANSI C Source Library for Direct PDF Generation. ClibPDF offers a competition to Thomas Merz's PDFlib, but it does much more than PDFlib, particularly for graph plotting applications. For details and downloading of ClibPDF, visit our web site, http://www.fastio.com/ ClibPDF is a library of ANSI C functions, distributed in source form, for creating PDF (Acrobat) files directly via C language programs without relying on any Adobe Acrobat tools and related products. It is suitable for fast dynamic PDF Web page generation in response to user input and real-time data, and also for implementing publication-quality graph plotting for both on-screen viewing and printing in any custom application. For more information: FastIO Systems - Fast Direct PDF Generation via C, clibpdf@fastio.com, http://www.fastio.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Partitionless Installation with EasyLinux Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 14:20:31 GMT EasyLinux is a revolutionary new Linux distribution which eliminates the need to repartition hard drives. Instead, it creates a Linux filesystem inside a large file on the DOS partition. Unlike with umsdos, performance is not significantly affected so this mode of operation is suitable for production machines. It is still possible to repartition if you want to. EasyLinux is available in two packages. The first contains only the two CDs, and is intended for experienced Linux users. This package costs £ 4.95 (approximately $8). The second contains the CDs and a 700 page book about installing and using Linux. This package also includes technical support. The price of this package is £ 29.95 (approximately $50). For more information: Pete Chown, Pete.Chown@skygate.co.uk, http://www.skygate.co.uk/ _________________________________________________________________ tomsrtbt-1.7.0 with 2.0.36 and cetera - boot/root rescue floppy Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 10:47:17 GMT I've put a new 2.0.36 based tomsrtbt-1.7.0 up on http://www.toms.net/rb/. Later I'll also load it to Sunsite's Incoming to go into system/recovery. It's a boot/root rescue/emergency floppy image with more stuff than can fit. Bzip2, 1722Mb formatting, and tight compilation options helped jam a lot on. It is useful for "learn unix on a floppy" as it runs from ramdisk, includes the man-pages for everything, and behaves in a generally predictable way. "The most Linux on one floppy." (distribution or panic disk). 1.72MB boot/root rescue disk with a lot of hardware and tools. Supports ide, scsi, tape, network adaptors, PCMCIA, much more. About 100 utility programs and tools for fixing and restoring. See tomsrtbt.FAQ for a list of stuff that is included. Not a script, just the diskette image packed up chock full of stuff. Easy to customize startup and scripts for complete rebuilding. Also good as learn-unix-on-a-floppy as it has mostly what you expect- vi, emacs, awk, sed, sh, manpages- loaded on ramdisks. There is one installer that runs under Linux, another for DOS. http://www.toms.net/rb/ For more information: Tom Oehser, tom@toms.net _________________________________________________________________ mod_ssl 2.1.0 - Apache Interface to SSLeay Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 10:51:43 GMT This Apache module provides strong cryptography for the Apache 1.3 webserver via the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols by the help of the SSL/TLS implementation library SSLeay from Eric A. Young and Tim J. Hudson. The mod_ssl package was created in April 1998 by Ralf S. Engelschall and was originally derived from software developed by Ben Laurie for use in the Apache-SSL HTTP server project. As a summary, here are its main features: o Open-Source software (BSD-style license) o Useable for both commercial and non-commercial use o Available for both Unix and Win32 platforms o 128-bit strong cryptography world-wide o Support for SSLv2, SSLv3 and TLSv1 protocols o Clean reviewable ANSI C source code o Clean Apache module architecture o Integrates seamlessly into Apache through an Extended API (EAPI) o Full Dynamic Shared Object (DSO) support o Support for the SSLeay+RSAref US-situation o Advanced pass-phrase handling for private keys o X.509 certificate based authentication for both client and server o Additional boolean-expression based access control facility o Backward compatibility to other Apache SSL solutions o Inter-process SSL session cache o Powerful dedicated SSL engine logging facility o Simple and robust application to Apache source trees o Fully integrated into the Apache 1.3 configuration mechanism o Additional integration into the Apache Autoconf-style Interface (APACI) o Assistance in X.509 v3 certificate generation http://www.engelschall.com/sw/mod_ssl/ ftp://ftp.engelschall.com/sw/mod_ssl/ For more information: Ralf S. Engelschall, rse@engelschall.com _________________________________________________________________ multiple - an utility for comparing files Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 20:57:11 GMT multiple is a utility for comparing files which includes these features: * comparing all files with each other, given to multiple via command line * print out superflous files without further comments => so removing superflous files is easy * if you wish, the names of all equal files will be printed (not only superflous) * if you want, the data until the first empty line will be ignored for comparing the files (e.g. for ignoring mail-/newsheaders and comparing only the message-bodies) ftp://belug.in-berlin.de/pub/user/ob/Programs/Tools/multiple.tgz For more information: Oliver Bandel, oliver@first.in-berlin.de _________________________________________________________________ Linux Search Engine (service and download) Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 21:08:31 GMT Just wanted to let every one know that I have just released some new search engine software. The database is PostgreSQL, the front-end is PHP 3.x, and it runs on a Red Hat 4.2 Linux box. (or any Linux box, that's just what I'm using) As it is brand new, it is also mostly empty, feel free to put any new listings on it that you want except no porno stuff. Nothing can be seen until it is approved, I will check several times a day for stuff needing approval. I would like a lot of Linux related stuff, would like it to sort of become a specialty search engine for Linux stuff. But most any listings are welcome. If you want to add a series of new categories, email me and I can add them all at once. This version is BATA and will no doubt evolve a great deal in time to come. For any one how wants to run a search engine, lse is available for free down load at my ftp site. Find it on the lse! http://www.terrym.com/lse/lse.php3 For more information: Terry Mackintosh, terry@terrym.com _________________________________________________________________ SANE v1.00 - Scanner Access Now Easy Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 21:17:39 GMT The development team for SANE ( http://www.mostang.com/sane/) is proud to announce the release of version 1.00 of the SANE API, applications, and drivers. Here is a summary of the main features of SANE: * SANE is a public-domain, fully documented, and generic API that can supp * rt arbitrary image acquisition devices, such as flatbed scanners, still cameras, vide * cameras * Included drivers are released under a relaxed GPL that permits c * mmercial use. * Included applications are released under GPL. * Includes a command-line interface that provides access t * all features of all scanners. * Includes a stand-alone GTK+ based graphical user interface that pr * vides access to all features of all scanners * Supports scanning from within GIMP through a GIMP extension * Supports remote scanning across a LAN, WAN, or even the Internet * Supports dynamic loading of drivers * Runs on Linux, most UNIX platforms, OpenStep, Apollo Domain/OS, and even OS/2 * Most devices are auto-detected so no or minimal configuration is required. * Includes Java scanning application and API. For more information: http://www.mostang.com/sane/ ftp://ftp.mostang.com/pub/sane/ _________________________________________________________________ Yard 1.17 -- creates custom rescue/boot disks Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 20:51:48 GMT Yard is a suite of Perl scripts for creating rescue disks (also called bootdisks). A rescue disk is a self-contained Linux kernel and filesystem on a floppy, usually used when you can't (or don't want to) boot off your hard disk. A rescue disk usually contains utilities for diagnosing and manipulating hard disks and filesystems. Author: fawcett@croftj.net (Tom Fawcett) Primary-site: http://www.croftj.net/~fawcett/yard/ 160220 yard-1.17.tar.gz _________________________________________________________________ Siag Office 3.1 available for beta testing Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 20:56:14 GMT Siag Office consists of the spreadsheet SIAG, the word processor Pathetic Writer and the animation program Egon Animator. Changes from 3.0 include: * Multipart documents * Cross-sheet references in Siag * Unlimited font support * Unlimited user-definable style support * Unlimited colour support * Improved handling of RTF format documents * Greatly improved user interface. Sources are available from: ftp://siag.edu.stockholm.se/pub/siag/siag-3.1.0beta1.tar.gz For more information: Ulric Eriksson, ulric@edu.stockholm.se, http://www.edu.stockholm.se/siag/ _________________________________________________________________ Macsyma math software for Linux ARLINGTON, MA (November 11, 1998): Macsyma(R) math software is now available for the first time in PCs running the Linux operating system. Macsyma includes 1,300 executable demonstrations and is easily accessible at many points in the help system. Also hypertext descriptions of 2,900 topics, a browser with 900 topics and commands, and 900 type-in command templates. Macsyma 421 has client-server capability, which is particularly helpful on local area networks. Recent mathematical improvements include enhanced speed in solving linear and algebraic equations, stochastic mathematics, better evaluation of special functions, and enhanced tensor analysis. It is smarter about using the algebraic signs of expressions to simplify results. The U.S. commercial price for Macsyma 421 for Linux workstations is $249 (or $199 without paper manuals). The U.S. commercial price for Linux Macsyma with NumKit (which requires using a client running MS-Windows) is $349. Academic prices are available. For more information: http://www.macsyma.com/, info@macsyma.com _________________________________________________________________ Buildkernel 0.87 - automates the task of building a Linux kernel Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 21:23:23 GMT Buildkernel is a shell script that automates the task of building a Linux kernel. If you can type "buildkernel --NEWESTSTABLE", you can have a new Linux kernel on your system! Building a kernel is a complicated task for the new user. The Kernel-HOWTO is an excellent summary of how it's done, but it still takes some time and understanding to do. Buildkernel takes away a lot of the learning necessary for first time builders. For experienced users that build kernels frequently, if automates the process so it is more "hands-off". It has been tested on the x86 architecture and currently knows about lilo and boot floppies (I would like to have future releases handle syslinux, milo, silo, etc. - any takers?). http://www.pobox.com/~wstearns/buildkernel/ For more information: William Stearns, wstearns@pobox.com _________________________________________________________________ groovit - making groovy and accurate sound/noise. Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 11:48:28 GMT This application needs testers : A linux all-in-a-box drum-machine. Groovit is essentially a drum matrix which can handle any samples, combined with, at least and depending on the CPU strength, two analog synths voices. Any voice can go through several effects, (for instance a dynamic filter, and an echo/reverb). It is intended to be as "real-time" as possible, depending on CPU strength mostly. It computes sounds internally with 32bit range, and outputs at 16. It also has several resonant filters that quickly bring you handsome noise. complete info at : http://www.univ-lyon1.fr/~jd/groovit/ For more information: Jean-Daniel Pauget, jd@cismserveur.univ-lyon1.fr _________________________________________________________________ Remote Microscope software 1.0a1 - remote access to optical microscopes Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 12:10:57 GMT Version 1.0alpha1 of CNRI's Remote Microscope software is now available. The Remote Microscope system allows users to access and control an optical microscope over the Internet using a Java applet, as demonstrated at the recent Python conference. As part of the MEMS Exchange project, CNRI is working on fully automated and remotely controllable semiconductor inspection microscopes to let chip designers view their wafers from any location having an Internet connection. However, Internet microscope access can be useful in other fields, such as biology or material science. We're releasing the code for our microscope software in the hope that other people will find it useful and will contribute suggestions, improvements, ports to new systems, etc. Remote Microscope home page: http://www.mems-exchange.org/software/microscope/ For more information: A.M. Kuchling, akuchlin@cnri.reston.va.us _________________________________________________________________ XFree86-3.3.3 has been released Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 12:41:44 GMT The XFree86 Project, Inc., is proud to announce its latest release, XFree86-3.3.3. This is the latest in our series of "final XFree86-3.3.x release" Most of our work is focused on XFree86-4.0 these days, but the amazing shelftime of graphics hardware makes another "old design" release necessary. For more information: Dirk H. Hohndel, hohndel@suse.de _________________________________________________________________ MasterPlan 0.1.0 - Planning/Calendar software Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 14:17:13 GMT Calendar/planner with tasks, appointments and meetings, Reminder and scheduler functions. Planned vCalendar support and shared calendar/billborad function, etc. MasterPlan for Linux represents a new step forward for time management software. Sporting many unique and useful features, MasterPlan's ease of use makes planning your life easier than ever. MasterPlan is partly an Open Source project, and is constantly evolving in coevolution with its users. This means that your feedback is essential in determining whether the program will fit your needs in the future! MasterPlan is also commercial software - this is what we do for a living! So if you want to use it, you must pay a (reasonable) fee. But of course you get to try it first! http://www.bgif.no/neureka/MasterPlan/index.html http://www.bgif.no/neureka/MasterPlan/master_download.html For more information: Arne O. Morken, arne.morken@ii.uib.no _________________________________________________________________ Published in Linux Gazette Issue 35, December 1998 _________________________________________________________________ [ TABLE OF CONTENTS ] [ FRONT PAGE ] Back Next _________________________________________________________________ This page written and maintained by the Editor of Linux Gazette, gazette@ssc.com Copyright © 1998 Specialized Systems Consultants, Inc. "The Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!" _________________________________________________________________ (?) The Answer Guy (!) By James T. Dennis, linux-questions-only@ssc.com Starshine Technical Services, http://www.starshine.org/ _________________________________________________________________ Contents: (!)Greetings From Jim Dennis (?)office server --or-- Linux as a File/Print Server for Window and DOS boxes: Of course! (?)Suggestions for Linux Users with Ultra Large Disks (?)Linux question - "out of the Blue" --or-- Listing "Just the Links": It's the only way, Luke (?)Yamaha OPL3-SA --or-- More on Linux Kernels Sound Support: Alan Cox Responds (?)X and virtual terms --or-- Some Magic Keys for the Linux Console (?)Keyboard Problem --or-- No Echo During Password Entry (?)FTP Login as 'root' --- Don't! (?)sendmail problem --or-- 'sendmail' on a Private/Disconnected Network (?)Question about networking with NetWare --or-- Needs to Login to Netware (?)FS Security using Linux --or-- Crypto Support for Linux (?)relaying still not correct ... (?)The state of UNIX in 1998 (?)A newbie question --or-- How Many Ways Can I Boot Thee: Let Me Count Them (?)Windows file systems across a linux box --or-- Programmer Fights with Subnets (?)Finding IP address with a script --or-- Using A Dynamically Assigned Address from PPP Startup Script (?)Setting up Linux to serve CD images through loopback --or-- More than 8 loopfs Mounts? (?)SV: PPP-question. --or-- Where to find Multi-Router Traffic Grabber (?)Support for the Microtek SlimScan Parallel Port Scanner (?)RedHat 5.1 and rpms --or-- RPM Dependencies: HOW? (?)modutils question (?)libc5 and libc6 (?)Linux on Dell Systems (?)How can I find this out? --or-- Remote Login as 'root' ____________________________________________________ (!) Greetings from Jim Dennis Well, it's getting close to the end of the year. So, what will I being doing: I hope to continue doing "the answer guy" --- and maybe I'll finally get around to writing some custom procmail scripts to structure it so that the Answer Guy can become "the Answer Gang" (I'd like to thank those who offered to participate in this project earlier this year. I haven't meant to snub any of you, but I haven't had any time to build on this idea either). I've been elected to the board of directors for BayLISA (the Silicon Valley and SF Bay Area chapter of SAGE, which is the USENIX Systems Administrators' Guild --- we inherited the 'e' from the creat() system call). I hope to promote better organization of system administrators in the bay area and around the world. I'll be at the annual USENIX/SAGE conference: LISA (Large Instllations System Administration) during the 2nd week of this month. I hope to finish my book real soon now. I've been courting a co-author on the project and have found someone that might be interested. This will be _Linux_Systems_Administration_ --- but should be of use to all sysadmins on all platforms. My goal in writing this is to genuinely raise the state of the art in systems administration and to provide the basis for "best practice" guidelines in the field. I started research and notes for my book about three years ago (with no intent of seeking a publisher until a good chunk of it was done). Last March an editor approach me and asked if I'd consider working on a book for them (Macmillan Computer Publishing: http://www.mcp.com/). When I agreed to work on this, the group I was working with was about as relaxed as book publishers ever get (from what I've heard). However, since Linux has suddenly become a hot topic they are now under pressure to get things rolling. When someone pops into the comp.unix.admin newsgroup or onto the linux-admin mailing list with the old question: I've just been assigned these systems what should I read --- I'd like to see my book listed along with Aeleen Frisch's _Essential_System_Administration_ (O'Reilly & Associates), a.k.a. "the armadillo book" and the _Unix_System_Administrator's_Handbook by Evi Nemeth et al (Prentic-Hall, a.k.a. "the cranberry book"). The other major project I have on the horizon is a half day seminar/tutorial on the subject of "Linux Security for the System Administrator" to be presented at the upcoming LinuxWorld Expo (http://www.linuxworldexpo.com) My goal for that is to show enough admins enough about securing their Linux systems from common threats that Linux can shed its reputation for being "easy" to break into. (Of course, everyone reading this can get a head start by reading Dave Wreski's Security Admin Guide (http://nic.com/~dave/SecurityAdminGuide/) and his Security-HOWTO (http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Security-HOWTO.html at your usual LDP mirror site. Dave gets "The Answer Guy" support award of the month for his work on these documents and for his participation on the linux-admin mailing list. Other than than, I'll need to get a lot more consulting done next year since I've devoted a bit too much of this year to writing TAG and my book. (My wife, Heather has been gracious enough to support me while I'm pursuing these new vocations). [I also work on a preprocessing script and then polish up the HTML for this column every month. -- Heather] So, it looks like a busy year for me as well as the rest of the Linux community. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. ____________________________________________________ (?) Linux as a File/Print Server for Window and DOS boxes: Of course! From jimr on Sat, 07 Nov 1998 Is it possible to set up a linux file and print server in an office of 95,98 & DOS? (!) It is a very popular application for Linux boxes. You can easily take any old 386, 486, or Pentium with 16 or 32 Mb and an ethernet card (or two) and install Linux and Samba. Samba is a popular Unix package for providing SMB file and print services. SMB is the technical name for the set of protocols that Windows NT, '95, '98, and OS/2 LANMan and LANServer (among others) all used for file and print sharing. Samba was written by Andrew Tridgell has been enhanced by a host of others (much like Linux itself). While much of the development of Samba has been done on Linux --- it's worth noting that many of the Samba developers also work on FreeBSD and some even work on Solaris, SunOS, Irix, and other traditional forms of Unix. The code is quite portable. The master web server for Samba is at: Australian National University: http://samba.anu.edu.au/samba/samba.html .. there are mirrors world-wide. Note that Samba come with most Linux distributions. Also note that the Samba team is pretty close to releasing version 2.0 which will include some code to support DC services (allowing your Linux box to act as a "Domain Controller" a PDC or BDC for your NT systems). It's also worth noting that your MS-DOS machines must be outfitted with TCP/IP suites to talk to Samba. I don't know of a Unix implementation of the NetBIOS networking protocols (the lower layer protocols over which the "server message blocks" of SMB are transported). Another alternative is to run Netware for Linux (available from Caldera: http://www.caldera.com) and have your MS-DOS systems access their file and print services via IPX protocols. (I always found the IPX drivers for DOS to be the quickest, most stable, and compatible and to have the most modest memory footprint of any networking drivers on the platform --- I always attributed Novell's huge success to those qualities). There is also a free "Netware emulator" called "Mars_nwe" --- that may also be sufficient for your MS-DOS systems. You may also want to consider switching some of your DOS systems to Linux with DOSEmu (a BIOS/system emulator for running a copy of DOS). You can also consider installing Caldera/DR-DOS as an alternative to MS-DOS. Basically MS isn't upgrading DOS any more, but Caldera and the Linux community are. In any event Netware is not free software. Samba is. However, you can run them concurrently on the same server (although I'd suggest a Pentium with 64Mb of RAM if you're going to run those and the obligatory intranet web, mail, and other services on the one host). Note that processor speed is not much of an issue here --- all of these services take very little processor power, and Linux doesn't require that you load the system with alot of unnecessary support (like all kinds of GUI baggage) when you just want to run a server in the closet. If you hook up a typical cheap laser or inkjet printer or two to the system, you can configure Linux to handle PostScript (TM) print jobs using the ghostscript drivers (a package that implements the PostScript (TM) language on the host computer and supports a large number of common printers. Be sure to get a printer that is NOT a "winprinter" (a print engine with essentially no embedded system --- which relies on PROPRIETARY drivers to drive it). The problem with these is that the manufacturers won't (or can't) release the specifications to allow Linux developers to write Linux native drivers for them. So you can only run these printers from Windows systems. (Basically it's a ripoff. You pay almost as much for a much less sophisticated printer that will probably be rendered temporarily useless with every Microsoft OS upgrade --- since the old drivers will almost never work with their new OS versions). I suggest that people considering Linux start with the Hardware-HOWTO at: http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html (and any LDP mirror). The SMB-Howto by David Wood seems to be pretty old --- and I know that Samba has been upgraded quite a bit since August of '96 --- so we probably need to find someone revise this HOWTO. However, most of the principles and examples should still work --- so it's a good place to look. Be sure to read the FAQ at the ANU site, though. There's a whole newsgroup devoted to the topic: news:comp.protocols.smb --- and Samba is the most common topic of discussion there. ____________________________________________________ (?) Suggestions for Linux Users with Ultra Large Disks From John Newbigin on Fri, 06 Nov 1998 In response to your note about Suggestions for Linux Users with Ultra Large Disk, here is my suggestion Create a small partition at the start of the disk, say 10 meg should be plenty, you could get away with ~2 if you are stingy. Use this partition to store the kernel/kernels used to boot linux. You can then create a root partition as large as you like, set lilo up to use the kernel from the first partition and away you go. You would only need to mount the partition if you are going to add a new kernel or run lilo. You could even put kernel modules on the partition if you wanted. (I have not tried this myself, but I see no reason why it should pose a problem) As for the 8gig limit, I have an 8.4 gig HD, and linux 2.0.34+ don't have a problem. They do some kind of translation on boot, but it works without any problems. John. UNIX is user friendly. It's just selective about who its friends are. (!) It's an excellent suggestion. I've heard variations of it many times --- but many of them haven't explained it as clearly as this. Let's say make I create this filesystem (/dev/hda1) and then a root filesystem (/dev/hda3 --- we'll say that hda2 is swap). I should create a mount point (let's call that /mnt/kernelfs) which is where I mount /dev/hda1 when I need to update a kernel and/or run /sbin/lilo for any reason. The rest of the time /dev/hda1 doesn't have t be mounted. In fact we don't need to reserve a special mount point (/mnt/kernelfs) for it at all --- that's just a bit of syntactic sugar that "self documents" what we're doing in the /etc/lilo.conf and other configuration files and scripts. I've tried many times to explain that LILO doesn't care about filesystems. /sbin/lilo needs to see files in order to interpret the configuration directives and put the LILO boot blocks and maps in the correct places. One of these days it will sink into the consiousness of a critical mass of Linux users. (Then someone will patch the ext2fs superblock to automatically bootstrap kernels by name and 90%+ of the Linux users won't care about LILO). In any event, I've also suggested that such users actually put a whole rootfs unto such a small partition --- an "altroot." This can be faster and handier than a boot/root diskette and can give you a way to test new kernels more easily with less risk. When testing new kernels you sometimes needs to replace some utilities. Back in 1.3 to 2.x we had to do the whole procps suite recently it's been the 'mount' command, and some others. Having the whole original suite on your altroot can make for a much easier time of it! Also, the "autorecovery" configuration that I talked about last month requires an extra root partition. If you ever want to experiment with that --- you want to create that "little root" partition from the start. Another advantage of the "altroot" variant of this suggestion is that it's actually a little easier to implement. Most distribution setup/installation scripts can handle a "minimal" installation (in 64Mb or less). So you essentially just do your Red Hat, Caldera, S.u.S.E. or Debian install twice. Once is the 'short form' to just create the altroot. The other is your "real" installation (with all the bells and whistles). ____________________________________________________ (?) Listing "Just the Links": It's the only way, Luke From Jerry Giles on Thu, 05 Nov 1998 Sorry for the intrusion but I came across your name while browsing for Linux. I am currently in a CIS program at the local college and a recent test had an item I still can't find the answer to. The professor asked what command to use to list "only the linked files" in a directory. He is expecting us to use ls with flags, I guess, but I've looked at all the flags given in the text and nothing seems to address this. Can you help? Thanks, jerry giles (!) Either you misunderstand, or your professor isn't being very precise. The 'ls' command "lists links" --- all directory entries are links! Some of these are symbolic links; others are "hard" links (which we think of as "normal" directory entries. The 'ls' command can't list anything but links. I can list other information that it extracts from the inodes to which each of these links points (via the stat() function). So, the question is essentially meaningless as you've relayed it. Now, if the question was about listing symbolic links there are a couple of simple answers that do make sense. ls -l | grep ^l ... this filters a "long" listing of all the links (hard and "symbolic") and displays only those which start with the letter l. In a "long" directory listing the first block of characters (field) is a string which encodes the type and permissions of the files to which these directory links point. (l is "symlink", d for "directory", s for "socket", p for "FIFO/named pipe", b and c for "block" and "character" special device nodes --- normally only found under the /dev/ directory --- and "-" (dash) for "regular" files). The second field in a long listing is the "link count." This tells you how many "hard links" point to the same inodes that this one does. Here's an example of my own root directory drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:19 . drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:19 .. -rw-r--r-- 2 root root 219254 Sep 27 17:19 System.map drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 2048 Sep 12 03:25 bin drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:20 boot drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Aug 31 06:40 cdrom drwxr-xr-x 21 root root 4096 Nov 4 03:12 etc lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 Apr 20 1998 home -> /usr/local/home drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 2048 Sep 16 23:48 lib drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 12288 Mar 10 1998 lost+found drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 1024 Aug 31 06:40 mnt lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Mar 31 1998 opt -> /usr/local/opt dr-xr-xr-x 63 root root 0 Oct 13 02:25 proc drwx--x--x 13 root root 2048 Oct 31 17:47 root drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 2048 Sep 16 23:48 sbin drwxrwxrwt 8 temp root 3072 Nov 5 09:33 tmp drwxr-xr-x 30 root root 1024 Aug 31 13:32 usr lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Aug 31 06:40 var -> usr/local/var -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 732668 Sep 27 17:19 vmlinuz This was generated with the command: 'ls -al /' The number in the second field (the first number on each of these lines) is the "link count." This is the number of hard links (non-symlinks) that point to the same inode. Thus my rood directory has 14 links to it. The ".." entry for each of /'s subdirectories points back up to it. In other words /usr/.. points back to /, so do /etc/.., /dev/.., and all the others that are just one level down from it. /usr/local/.. points to /usr and so on. We see that 'System.map' has a link count of 2. That means that there is another name for this file. Somewhere on this filesystem there is another hard link to it. Most Unix newbies are using to thinking of the 'ls' command as a listing of files. This is wrong. The 'ls' command is a listing of links to files. When you add parameters like "-l" to the 'ls' command, you are listing the links, AND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE FILES TO WHICH THEY POINT. (Under the hood the 'ls' command is "stat()'ing each of these entries). A Unix/Linux directory consists of a list of names and inodes. All of the rest of the information that we associate with the file (its type, ownership, permissions, link count, all three time/date stamps, size, and --- most importantly --- the list of blocks that contains the file's contents, all of this is stored in the inode). To understand the difference better, create a subdirectory (~/tmp/experiment). Put a few arbitrary links into that (use the 'ln' command to make "hard links" and the 'ln -s' command to make some symlinks, and maybe some 'cp' commands to copy in a few files). Now use the 'chmod' command to remove your own execute ("x") rights to that directory ('chmod a-x ~/tmp/experiment'). * (technically this is a "demonstration" rather than a true "experiment" but that's a bit of scientific method hairsplitting that I'll only mention in passing). You should be able to do an 'ls' command (be sure to use the real 'ls' command --- NOT SOME ALIAS, SHELL FUNCTION OR SCRIPT). That should work. (If it doesn't --- you probably have 'ls' alias'ed to 'ls --color' or something like that --- try issuing the command /bin/ls, or try the command 'unalias ls' for the duration of this experiment). When you can issue the 'ls' command, with no arguments and get a list of the file names in the "~/tmp/experiment" directory then try 'ls -l' or 'ls -i' You should get a whole stream of "Permission denied" messages. Note that you also have to do all of this from outside of the directory. Issuing the 'cd' command to get into a directory requires that you have "execute" permission to that directory. The reason that you get these "Permission denied" errors is because, to give any other information about a file (other than the link names) the 'ls' command needs to access the 'inodes' (which requires "execute" permissions for a directory). You can do an 'ls' or an 'ls -a' on the directory --- because these only provide lists of the link names. These variations of the command don't need access to any other information about the files (which is all stored in the inode). So, now that you (hopefully) understand what links really are --- you can understand something about the 'rm' command. 'rm' doesn't remove files. 'rm' remove links to files. The filesystem driver then checks the link count. If that's "zero" (and there are no open file descriptors, processes with the file open) then the file is actually removed. Note the important element here: file removal happens indirectly, as part of the filesystem's maintenance. The 'rm' and similar commands just call "unlink()" (the system call). There was also an extra clause I snuck in. If I open a file (with and editor, for example) and then I use 'rm' to remove that file, what happens? (Let's assume that there was only one hard link to the file). Nothing spectacular. The link count is zero but the file is open. The filesystem maintenance routines leave the inode and the data blocks to the file alone so long as the file is open. As soon as the file is close, these routines will detect the zero link count and then remove the file. If a dozen processes have the file open --- than all of them must close it before the file is truly removed. Removal actually involves a few steps. All of the data blocks that are allocated to the file are reassigned to the "free list." You can think of the free list as a "special file" that "owns" all of the free space on the disk. The actual implementation is different for different fileystems. Then the inode is marked as deleted, or its "zero'd out" (filesystem and version specific). Now, back to your original question: A more precise way to find all of the "symlinks" in a directory is to use the 'find' command. Try the command: find / -type l -maxdepth 1 -print ... (GNU 'find' defaults to "-print" so you can leave that off under Linux). The "maxdepth 1" part is to prevent 'find' from traversing down the whole file tree. (Note: I tend to use "file tree" or "file hiearchy" to refer to all the files *and all the mounted filesystems* below a point, and "filesystem" to refer to all of the files on a single mounted fs. This is a subtle point of confusion). Now, if the question was "find all of the regular files with a link count greater than 1" you'd use: find ... -type f -maxdepth 1 -links +1 ... where the ellipsis is a list of one or more directories and/or filenames and the other parameters test for the various conditions that I described (and prevent traversal down the tree, of course). In GNU find many of the numeric conditions can be specified as "+x" "x" or "-x" --- where +x means "more than 'x'", -x means "less than 'x'" and just x means "exactly x." That's a subtlety of the 'find' command. A last interpretation of this question that I can imagine is: find all of the links to a given file (inode). To do this you start with the inode. If it is not a directory (*) and it has a link count of more than one then search the whole filesystem for any other link that has a matching inode. This is a non-trivial question to a first term Unix student. It entails writing a script in a few parts. * (We don't have to search for the additional hard links to directories, because they should all be in ./*/.. --- that is they are all . or .. entries in the current directory and the ones just below us. If you were to use some custom code for force the creation of some other hard link to a directory --- fsck would probably have fits about the anomaly in the directory structure. Some versions of Unix have historically allowed root (superuser) to create hard links to directories --- but the GNU utilities under Linux won't allow it --- so you'd have to write your own code or you'd have to directly modify the fs with a hex editor). I'll just walk through one example to get us warmed up: In my root directory example above I saw that System.map had a link count of 2. It's a regular file. So I want to find the other link to it. First I find the inode. 'ls -ail /' gives us: 2 drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:19 . 2 drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:19 .. 13 -rw-r--r-- 2 root root 219254 Sep 27 17:19 System.map 4019 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 2048 Sep 12 03:25 bin 56241 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Sep 27 17:20 boot 14 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Aug 31 06:40 var (etc). ... the numbers in the first field here are the inodes --- the filesystem data structures to which these links point. We note that the '.' and '..' (current and parent directories) both point to the same inode *for the root directory*. (For any other directory this would not be the case). ... so I want to find all links on this filesystem (*) which point to inode number 13. * (not on any other filesystem that's mounted --- they each have their own inode number "13") So, here's the command to do that: find / -mount -inum 13 ... whoa! That was easy. The "-mount" option tells the find command not to traverse across any mount points (it's the same as the -xdev option). To do this for each of the items in a directory -- the hard part is to find the root of the filesystem on which each file resides. In my example this was deceptively easy because the link I was looking at was in the root directory (which obviously is at the root of its filesytem). If I had a script or program that would "find the root of the filesystem on which a given file resided" (let's call it "fsrootof" --- then I could write the rest of this script: find ... -type f -links +1 -printf "%i %p\n" | while read i f; do find $(fsrootof $f) -mount -inum $i done ... this is a bit of shell script code that uses 'find' to generate a list of the inodes and names/paths (the -printf option to the first 'find') of "regular files" with link counts greater than 1. That list is fed into a simple shell loop (a mill) that reads each line as a "inode" and a "patch" (later referred to as $i and $f respectively). The body of that loop calls my mythical script or program to find the "root of the filesystem of the file" --- and use that as the search point for the second find command. Just off hand I can't think of a way to implement this 'fsrootof' command using simple shell scripting. It would probably best be done as a C program or a Perl script (making direct use of some system calls to stat the file and some other trick to traverse upwards (following .. links) until we cross a mountpoint. I'd have to dig up the sources to the 'find' command to see how they do that. So, maybe I'll leave that as the "Linux Gazette Reader Challenge" (implement 'fsrootof' as described above).