http://RootPrompt.org News and information for Unix Sysadmins en-us Code by Noel Davis http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11606 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11606 This document describes step by step how to set up a Mandriva One 28 Spring (Mandriva 28.1) desktop (GNOME). The result is a fast, secure and extendable system that provides all you need for daily work and entertainment. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11607 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11607 QGRUBEditor is a graphical frontend for managing the GRUB bootloader. By using QGRUBEditor, you do not have to mess around with the GRUB configuration in /boot/grub/menu.lst anymore. This article shows how to install and use QGRUBEditor on Ubuntu 7.1. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11605 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11605 Learn to build basic assistance programs to help the hearing-impaired identify speakers in a bandwidth-limited context. Use sndpeek and custom algorithms to match voices to a pre-recorded library so users know who is speaking in teleconferences, podcasts, and live media events. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11604 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11604 The most popular innovation of IBM AIX Version 6.1 is clearly workload partitioning (WPARs). Once you get past the marketing hype, you'll need to determine the value that WPARs can provide in your environment. You can discover that here. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11603 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11603 This document describes how to set up and configure rsyncbackup on Debian Etch. Rsyncbackup is a Perl script that cooperates with rsync. It is easy to configure and able to create scheduled backups (partial and incremental backups). http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11601 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11601 Learn what's involved when introducing a Linux client pilot in your organization, including planning for business and IT requirements, architecture decisions, risks, and understanding how IBM's open collaboration client is used to implement this desktop of the future, today. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11602 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11602 If you dual boot with Windows and Linux, and have data spread across different partitions on Linux and Windows, you should be really in for some issues. It happens sometimes you need to access your files on Linux partitions from Windows, and you realize it isn't possible easily. Not really, with these tools in hand - it's very easy for you to access files on your Linux partitions from Windows. Full Story http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11600 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11600 aDesigner is a disability simulator that helps designers ensure that their content and applications are accessible and usable by the visually impaired. The new version adds support for OpenDocument Format (ODF) and Flash content; presentation simulation function for ODF documents. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11598 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11598 This document describes how to set up an installation environment with kickstart and NFS on Fedora 8. With the resulting system you will be able run unattended Fedora 8 installations on the client systems in your LAN - additionally, you will save lots of Internet bandwidth. The whole client configuration can be included into the kickstart file (especially the post-installation script) so you, the admin, will also save a vast amount of time. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11599 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11599 The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) runs Linux, but getting it to run well requires some tweaking. The first part introduced features and benefits, and Part 2 takes a look at where all the memory goes in the PS3 and how to reclaim it, along with what significant things can impact a PS3 system's performance running Linux. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11595 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11595 Ubuntu 8.4 LTS is the upcoming version of the Ubuntu operating system. The common name given to this release from the time of its early development was "Hardy Heron".This tutorial explains you step by step procedure how to Upgrade Ubuntu 7.1 (Gutsy Gibbon) to Ubuntu 8.4 LTS (Hardy Heron) Beta Full Story http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11597 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11597 This guide explains how to set up software RAID1 on an already running LVM system (Debian Etch). The GRUB bootloader will be configured in such a way that the system will still be able to boot if one of the hard drives fails (no matter which one). http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11596 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11596 One of the most noticeable differences between Linux and Windows is the directory structure. Not only is the format different, but the logic of where to find things is different.This tutorial will explain about Linux Directory Structure Overview with graphical image. Full Story http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11594 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11594 "Shell Curses" is a library of script functions that provide the shell programmer the ability to perform text-based cursor movements to specified locations on the screen. This ability permits the creation of menuing and data-entry systems using shell scripts without the need for compiled binaries. These functions are similar to the "C" language "Curses" library. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11592 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11592 By the time I go to use this it will probably be different but hey."The other day, there was an interesting post on the DTrace mailing list asking how to derive a process name from a pid. This really ought to be a built-in feature of D, but it isn't (at least not yet). I hacked up a solution to the user's problem by cribbing the algorithm from mdb's ::pid2proc function whose source code you can find here. The basic idea is that you need to look up the pid in pidhash to get a chain of struct http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11593 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11593 I still find the service manager stuff confusing."On a recent server build project we ran into a security scan that surprised us with a mandate that snmpXdmid be disabled. The alleged vulnerability is based on a buffer overflow that originated in the days of Solaris 8 as documented in CIAC Information Bulleting l-65 and SunSolve Security bulletin #27. The details aren't important to this story other than finding it entertaining to respond to a Solaris 8 vulnerability on a Solaris 1 build. I http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11588 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11588 If you have ever tried to implement one of the hotspot HowTos on this and other sites, it might have dawned on you that this is not an easy feat to accomplish. Amazingly most solutions also leave out the most important part - how to get paid by the punters using the hotspot. Some will offer prepaid solution or access tickets that need to be printed, but this will require staff being involved on the premises. And in particular, once you want to offer a professional service and not just a toy http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11591 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11591 Nice stuff on the way."Many basic features that were noticeably absent in the 4. release are beginning to show up as the as the 4.1 release which is scheduled for July approaches." KDE 4.1 to bring back Konqueror tree view, other goodies http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11590 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11590 I like ZFS. Lots of cools stuff. Even though if we upgraded to Solaris 1 at work we would probably not implement it. SANs take away a lot of the reasons for it, least that is how it looks to me."First, let's review a little bit about how ZFS works. By default, when ZFS writes anything, it generates a checksum which is recorded someplace else, presumably safe. Actually, the checksum is recorded at least twice, just to be doubly sure it is correct. And that record is also checksummed. Back http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11589 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11589 Users access z/OS mainframes using a 327 terminal emulator such as IBM Personal Communications. In this article, learn how to build a simple shell script for Linux or UNIX that gives you a second terminal emulator to view everything a mainframe user is doing in real time. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11587 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11587 Do you fully understand the OSI model? Are you comfortable with subnetting? Do you understand UNIX permissions? By the end of this article, anyone involved in IT at any capacity should be able to create at least a simple command line tool. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11586 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11586 The NetBSD Project celebrates its 15th anniversary: The first commits were made to the NetBSD source code repository on March 21, 1993, and the first release of the NetBSD Operating System, NetBSD .8, was announced on USENET shortly thereafter. Throughout the past fifteen years, NetBSD has increased the portability and security of the 4.4BSD operating system on which NetBSD was based, and added support for new processor and system families, while enhancing the system's performance to s http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11585 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11585 Build a bootable, self-installing hard disk drive for an IBM BladeCenter HS2 blade server running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 1 following these nine easy steps. When the system boots from this drive for the first time, it automatically begins to install Linux on the disk, which eases the task of preloading the operating system and lightens user workload. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11582 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11582 Dtrace looks like a great tool. Perhaps the best thing to come out in a while for troubleshooting."Apple included DTrace in MacOS X 1.5 (Leopard), released in October 27. It's great to have DTrace available in MacOS X for its powerful application and kernel performance analysis. To think that there is now another kernel we can examine using DTrace is exciting - it's like discovering a new planet in the solar system." The Wall: DTraceToolkit in MacOS X http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11583 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11583 "Solaris x86 jumpstart on ISC DHCP If you are using the Solaris dhcp server, stop now. Save yourself hours of time of trying to figure out pntadm, dhtadm, and just use ISC DHCP on Solaris. It's very simple, painless, and you will be glad you did." A look into Solaris, by Derek Crudgington http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11584 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11584 One look and I want one, not sure what I would use it for, but when does that stop a geek from wanting a computer."Shuttle announced today that its upcoming $199 KPC will ship with the open-source Foresight Linux distribution. In addition to a price that squarely targets the budget market, the KPC features a small form factor and high energy efficiency. Shuttle has teamed up with Foresight and says that the Linux distribution's intuitive interface, user-focused design, and robust selection http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11578 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11578 FreeBSD 6.3 allows upgrade of existing installation to FreeBSD 7.-RELEASE. Since this is a major version upgrade, it is recommended that you backup existing data, database and config files. You also need to reinstall all ports. FreeBSD 7. Binary Upgrade http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11579 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11579 This document describes how to install preload on Fedora 8. preload is an adaptive readahead daemon. It monitors applications that users run, and by analyzing this data, predicts what applications users might run, and fetches those binaries and their dependencies into memory for faster startup times. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11581 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11581 OpenID is an open source, emerging security technology that provides decentralized authentication across the Internet. In this article, the third and final part of the series, learn about Project Zero Security and how to leverage OpenID authentication, define security rules for the application, and extend a user registry. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11580 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11580 See how to stretch the capacity of your Web server farm with PHP and a reverse proxy, such as Varnish. Like most open source packages, Varnish builds readily on several platforms, including FreeBSD, Linux, and Mac OS X. Varnish is also available in binary form for several systems, if you prefer using a package manager, such as apt or port. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11575 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11575 NetBSD.org features a second article with interviews about the use and the internals of pkgsrc, the portable packaging system. Newer package management concepts from MidnightBSD and GoboLinux and the platform-independet Zero Install sytem are represented as well. pkgsrc and the concepts of package management 1997-27 (part 2) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11574 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11574 Sun Microsystems and the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) announced an agreement to jointly work within the OpenSolaris community to research and to develop security enhancements to complement existing OpenSolaris security mechanisms. Both Sun and the NSA will work with the OpenSolaris community to integrate an additional form of mandatory access control (MAC), based on the Flux Advanced Security Kernel (Flask) architecture. Story http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11577 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11577 This article shows how to develop and debug a graphical activity in Sugar using Python. The XO laptop includes many innovations such as an inexpensive and durable hardware design, the use of GNU/Linux as the underlying operating system, and an application environment written in Python with a human interface called Sugar, accessible to everyone (including kids). http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11576 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11576 The Semantic Web allows users to get smarter search results and site owners to get more targeted traffic as users find what they really want. Learn how to make your Web site part of the Semantic Web, as this article leads you through the aspects of both information architecture and general infrastructure you need to truly take advantage of this burgeoning opportunity. http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11570 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11570 This is a project to produce an efficient way of filling a large area of screen space with terminals. This is done by splitting the window into a resizeable grid of terminals. As such, you can produce a very flexible arrangements of terminals for different tasks. Full Story http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11573 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11573 This document describes how to set up a two-node load balancer in an active/passive configuration with HAProxy and heartbeat on Fedora 8. The load balancer acts between the user and two (or more) Apache web servers that hold the same content. The load balancer passes the requests to the web servers and it also checks their health. If one of them is down, all requests will automatically be redirected to the remaining web server(s). In addition to that, the two load balancer nodes monitor eac