May 2006 - main - earth.li

Weekly IRC reminder
by Brett Parker 15 May '06

15 May '06

This is the automated ALUG IRC meeting reminder sent to remind you that there is an IRC meeting tonight (Monday) at 8.00pm. Historically, these used to be the only time a lot of us would be about, now the channel has some usual faces that are there most of the time (except at silly o'clock, when we might be sleeping, or on the second thursday of the month, where we might be drinking in the Reindeer), so don't feel limited to visit during this time, come visit us when ever you feel like it! The meeting takes place on the irc server irc.alug.org.uk in the #alug channel. Most IRC clients should allow you to get there with the commands "/server irc.alug.org.uk" and "/join #alug". Popular IRC clients include xchat, irssi and EPIC on Unix, and Mirc under windows. Here are some links to help you get started with irc. Unix http://www.xchat.org/ http://www.irssi.org/ http://www.epicsol.org/ Windows http://www.mirc.com (loads of help with irc for newbies!)

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Heeeelp! My display system is rather messed up.
by Barry Samuels 14 May '06

14 May '06

First an apology. This message may appear twice because I forgot to set my identity in the mailer so the first one may not make it. I'm running Debian Testing (Etch). I've been waiting 6 months to do an update because K3b was missing from the distribution for about that time and it has just reappeared. So I did the update and then discovered that my mga drivers from Matrox no longer work. I see that other people had the same problem. There is an MGA driver package listed but it depends on the xserver-xorg-core package which isn't in the distribution (this is getting ridiculous). Matrox don't (yet?) provide a driver for xorg 6.9 but after a search I found that someone had modified the latest Matrox driver to suit 6.9 which I have now installed. There is still something seriously wrong with the display system however and I don't know if it's an xorg thing or something else. I don't think it's the new MGA driver because I get console problems even if I don't run X. If I run 'joe', the editor, from a standard console (No X) I find I cannot get out using Ctrl-C, it's just ignored, but I can exit with Ctrl-K-X. However I then have to type 'reset' to get the console to behave properly. Whilst in the editor I often can't scroll down to see the end of the file. I cannot start X as a user but I can as root. If I start X as root and then exit I have to do the 'reset' thing again. I can start KDM as root and then log in as a user but if I logout, back to KDM, I'm stuck because Ctrl-Alt-Fn doesn't work either. All I can do is reboot. Is this likely to be an xorg problem and where do I look to solve it? -- Barry Samuels http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk The Unofficial Guide to Great Britain

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Heeeelp! my display is rather messed up.
by Barry Samuels 14 May '06

14 May '06

I'm running Debian Testing (Etch). I've been waiting 6 months to do an update because K3b was missing from the distribution for about that time and it has just reappeared. So I did the update and then discovered that my mga drivers from Matrox no longer work. I see that other people had the same problem. There is an MGA driver package listed but it depends on the xserver-xorg-core package which isn't in the distribution (this is getting ridiculous). Matrox don't (yet?) provide a driver for xorg 6.9 but after a search I found that someone had modified the latest Matrox driver to suit 6.9 which I have now installed. There is still something seriously wrong with the display system however and I don't know if it's an xorg thing or something else. I don't think it's the new MGA driver because I get console problems even if I don't run X. If I run 'joe', the editor, from a standard console (No X) I find I cannot get out using Ctrl-C, it's just ignored, but I can exit with Ctrl-K-X. However I then have to type 'reset' to get the console to behave properly. Whilst in the editor I often can't scroll down to see the end of the file. I cannot start X as a user but I can as root. If I start X as root and then exit I have to do the 'reset' thing again. I can start KDM as root and then log in as a user but if I logout, back to KDM, I'm stuck because Ctrl-Alt-Fn doesn't work either. All I can do is reboot. Is this likely to be an xorg problem and where do I look to solve it? Barry Samuels http://www.beenthere-donethat.org.uk The Unofficial Guide to Great Britain

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Any Asterisk users out there? Dial out fails, but dial in works
by Ashley T. Howes, Ph.D. 13 May '06

13 May '06

I'm attempting to set a small PBX system. I'm using Asterisk @ Home 2.8 with a Digium TDM11B card. The fxo card is in port 4, the fxs card is in port 1. I have the phone-line connected to port 4 and the phone unit to port 1. My /etc/zaptel.conf is: fxoks=1 fxsks=4 loadzone=uk loadzone=uk My /etc/asterisk/zapata.conf includes: echocancel=yes echocancelwhenbridged=yes echotraining=400 callerid=<my callerid> signalling=fxo_ks group=1 context=default channel => 1 signalling=fxs_ks callerid=asreceived group=2 context=incoming channel => 4 My /etc/asterisk/extensions.conf is: [globals] OUTBOUNDTRUNK=Zap/4 [incoming] exten => s,1,Wait(1) exten => s,2,Answer() exten => s,3,Playback(hello-world) exten => s,4,Hangup() [outbound] exten => _9XXXXXXXXXXX,1,Dial($(OUTBOUNDTRUNK)/${EXTEN:1}) exten => _9XXXXXXXXXXX,2,Congestion() exten => _9XXXXXXXXXXX,102,Congestion() The _9XXXXXXXXXX should allow me to call number like 07770 123456 using a 9 prefix from the phone, if I understand the documentation correctly. Some of this information was from the supplier of the card and others were from Asterisk O'Reilly book. Incoming calls work as expected, but as soon as I attempt to use my phone to dial a number, it hangs up. I hear a dial-tone to begin with, but pressing a single button makes it hang up. The log from Asterisk is: --Starting simple switch on 'Zap/1-1' --Hungup 'Zap/1-1' What is wrong? This is really confusing. I'm a newbie to Asterisk so if there is something I have missed above, please point it out. -- Ashley T. Howes, Ph.D. http://www.ashleyhowes.com/ "The proper function of man is to live, not to exist." - Jack London

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Digital Sound Inputs on Trust soundcard
by David Noble 13 May '06

13 May '06

Hi all, I seem to be having problems with recording the digital input on my new soundcard (chipset has been identified as CMI 8738). I am running a S/PDIF line from my digital mixer (at 48kHz) to the input. I know for sure there is output on the line, as when I hit the 'loop' switch, I am able to monitor a return. Sound playback works fine (tested in Audacity, amaroK and Xine), but I am unable to select the digital input to record (in Audacity), although analog seems to work fine. The idea behind getting this sound card was to be able to record losslessly from the mixer. The inputs appear to work fine under 'doze (and SoundForge), although I had to fiddle about with sample rates. I would really like to be able to record using Linux, and finally convert my machine over to a Linux only box. Any help would be much appreciated. I am unable to speak on IRC as I am at <strike>prison</strike> boarding school. Kind regards, Dave

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New NeSS Website -- and Linux!
by Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk 13 May '06

13 May '06

Hi Folks, Inspired by a TYV report this evening on the Govt's new "Neighbourhood Statistics" website (aka "NeSS"), I just gave it a try: http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Can any of you get it to work with a browser supported by Linux? Even with popups enabled for this site, my Firefox doesn't cut it. Nor Mozilla. Thanks, and all best wishes, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding(a)nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 11-May-06 Time: 19:15:02 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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[ALUG Announce] [ALUG] 2nd Thursday Norwich Meet : Reindeer, Dereham Road
by Jonathan McDowell 13 May '06

13 May '06

ALUG Announce Please send announcements to Announce(a)lists.alug.org.uk Unsub, change settings via http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/announce ----- The monthly "Second Thursday" ALUG Norwich Pub Meet is this Thursday, 11th May. It's at the Reindeer pub on the Dereham Road, just opposite the City Gate. People will be there from 8pm-ish, though there may be a few people there earlier. Topics for discussion will no doubt be as varied as ever. The Reindeer has a reasonable selection of beer as well as decent coffee (with biscuits, if you're lucky). Directions to the Reindeer can be found at: http://www.alug.org.uk/venues/reindeer.html Pictures of some of the regulars, and irregulars, and, well, just some pictures of people that might or might not turn up are available from: http://www.earth.li/~noodles/Photos/2006-02-ALUG/ http://the.earth.li/~noodles/stilvoid-alug/mp20050811/ http://www.earth.li/~noodles/Photos/2005-01-ALUG-Xmas/ http://www.earth.li/~noodles/Photos/2004-08-ALUG/ Which should hopefully aid those of you wondering who to look out for. We're /normally/ just to the left of the main entrance, though sometimes we've ended up at the far end of the pub beside the pool table, as there are comfy seats at that end. J. -- ] http://www.earth.li/~noodles/ [] Where are we going? And WHY ARE [ ] PGP/GPG Key @ the.earth.li [] WE IN THIS HANDBASKET?!! [ ] via keyserver, web or email. [] [ ] RSA: 4DC4E7FD / DSA: 5B430367 [] [ ----- Send discussion replies to main(a)lists.alug.org.uk (Reply-To set) Unsub, change settings via http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/announce

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Re: [linux-users] New NeSS Website -- and Linux!
by Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk 12 May '06

12 May '06

Many thanks to all for the interesting replies. It looks as though I should bite the bullet and upgrade from Firefox 1.0 to 1.5. Best wishes to all, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding(a)nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 12-May-06 Time: 09:48:24 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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Linux hardware compatability lists
by Adam Bower 12 May '06

12 May '06

Hi, I just got a comment on my blog from a guy who was looking for information on how well the Canon Powershot A430 worked with Linux. (For my dads birthday we purchased him an A430, and when i plugged it into my Ubuntu laptop it auto-detected it and asked me if i wanted to get the pictures off it, very simple, more so than other operating systems I suspect). Part of the purpose of my blog posting was so that the info would get picked up by search engines if people wanted to find out if this camera worked with Linux. Anyhow, the comment left on my blog was similar to "thanks for posting this I wanted to know if this camera worked with linux and your page is all I can find using google" and the suggestion to add it to the Linux HCL at http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/ anyhow, this made me think are there any other generic Linux HCL lists that I should be posting this information to? What puts me off linuxquestions.org is that it appears to be a web-forum (which I detest) whereas if it was a wiki I'd have the information on there by now. Thanks Adam -- jabberid = quinophex(a)jabber.earth.li Avoid ID cards, renew your passport: http://www.renewforfreedom.org/

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Re: Greetings
by Jenny Hopkins 12 May '06

12 May '06

> From: Paul <lists(a)bulldoghome.com> > Hi Tracy > > Always nice to see a new face in place of the hairy old ones ;) > Oi! Speak for yourself, our Paul! I shaved yesterday........ Welcome to alug, Tracy. Jenny

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