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RE: [ALUG] Ubuntu/Win2K Dual Boot
by Keith Watson 03 Apr '06

03 Apr '06

> From: MJ Ray Sent: 03 April 2006 07:27 > > Simon Royal <s.royal(a)totalise.co.uk> > > I have two hard drives in it at present, one of which is a slave and I > > use to store my stuff on. If I was to replace it as it is only a > > 540MB drive with another bigger drive, say 2-5GB would this be enough > > to run Ubuntu on? > > Surprisingly, Ubuntu recommend 2GB of disk space as a minimum > for their standard desktop install. > > > Also how would this be affect her Windows installation on her primary > > drive? > > Not at all, although you'll need another way to boot. > > > Would installing Ubuntu interfere with booting up as I obviously want > > Windows to be the default boot method and have a boot menu that I > > could select Ubuntu on when I wanted to use it. > > I would hope that Ubuntu's boot manager (Grub, with any luck) > can do this simply, but I've not had Windows installed for > 11 years now. I've done this several times over the past couple of months. The Ubuntu install will allow you to specify where and what you want your partitions to be and will pick up the fact that you already have other OSs installed (i.e. windows) and set up grub to run dual-boot. It will set up Linux to be the default but it's a simple matter to edit the grub menu config "sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst" and tweak it to how you want (hint: run "sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst.old" first, then you can roll back if you get something wrong - been there, done that, etc - which is where the Ubuntu Live CD is a godsend!!). As for partition sizes; you'll need a swap partition of somewhere between 256 and 512 meg depending on your memory size (I find the size Ubuntu suggests usually works fine) and although a 2Gb partition is good enough for the basic install, if you want to install any significant extra packages or all the multimedia goodies (see http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/03/12/209257 or, imo even better, http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/) then you'll probably want 4Gb. If you have spare disk capacity then 5Gb should keep you happy for some time :o). Regards, Keith ____________ A bend in the road is not the end of the road... - unless you fail to make the turn.

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Ubuntu/Win2K Dual Boot
by Simon Royal 03 Apr '06

03 Apr '06

Hi I have been toying with putting Ubuntu on my eMac and dual booting with OSX. I have decided I want leave my lovely Mac well alone. Its an all-in-one machine and I would need to repartition the main drive to dual boot and my recent attempts with Yaboot have not been too successful. It would be easier to try it on my wifes PC. I have two hard drives in it at present, one of which is a slave and I use to store my stuff on. If I was to replace it as it is only a 540MB drive with another bigger drive, say 2-5GB would this be enough to run Ubuntu on? Also how would this be affect her Windows installation on her primary drive? Would installing Ubuntu interfere with booting up as I obviously want Windows to be the default boot method and have a boot menu that I could select Ubuntu on when I wanted to use it. Any help in setting this machine up to dual boot Windows 2000 - which is already installed and I don't want to mess up - and Ubuntu would be greatful. Regards Simon Royal >- The box said Windows 2000 or better, so I bought a Mac

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Weekly IRC reminder
by Brett Parker 03 Apr '06

03 Apr '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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Kit meet booked
by John Woodard 02 Apr '06

02 Apr '06

I have booked the Mid Suffolk venue Syleham and Wingfield Village hall for a kit meet on Sunday 30th April 2:00pm - 6:00pm. Details of the venue and a map are available at http://www.alug.org.uk/venues/syleham.html. Normal waivers apply, your kit is your responsibility, please mark it and any associated cables etc. I will open the hall up at around 1:30ish to allow kit to be assembled etc. and will get the bar open if it is required. Any questions please post to the list. Cheers, BJ -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.3/296 - Release Date: 29/03/2006

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PHP fopen writing to a device node
by Wayne Stallwood 02 Apr '06

02 Apr '06

I am trying to write some data to a device node in php..It works fine, however I am having trouble handling errors. What I want to do is, if the device fails..then prompt the user and write the data to a file instead. At the moment if my fopen fails because say the device node doesn't exist, or is busy, or because my script doesn't have the right privileges then it can be trapped with something like if (!$handle = fopen($lpdev, 'w')) { echo "Cannot write to ($lpdev) Using dump file"; $handle = fopen('/tmp/dump.txt'); } However if the device node is free but the device on the end of it isn't responding..it just sits there waiting. I have also tried if ($handle = fopen($lpdev, 'w') === FALSE){ echo "Cannot write to ($lpdev) using dump file"; $handle = fopen('/tmp/dump.txt'); } or trying to trap it with "or die" None of those seem to work either, if there is nothing responding on $lpdev (/dev/lp0) the fopen will just sit there trying to write to it (seemingly for ever) So I am guessing what I need is some sort of timeout on the fopen after which it exits and runs the alternative code....but part of me is thinking that fopen is really meant for files not devices and files are either there or not and writable or not..hence my trouble. Am I using a square peg to fill a round hole..or is there a way of wrapping up the fopen to get it to do what I want. Help as always is appreciated

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Wireless wires
by linux＠davebriggs.net 31 Mar '06

31 Mar '06

Hello chaps I have gotten hold of a Netgear MR814 and am trying to get it set up with my Tiscali broadband, using a Sagem F@st dsl modem. Anyway, the problem I have is that the cable that currently goes from the modem to the PC ends with a USB wotsit, wheras the router needs it to be an ethernet one. Tiscali sell something called a RJ45 Network Cable (1) - is this what I need? Also, I have been supplied with a USB wireless adaptor, but would plugging the router straight into the PC with an ethernet cable produce better results? (before you ask, the wireless is for my laptop!) Thanks in advance Dave 1 - http://www.tiscali.dslshop.co.uk/product_details.asp?idProduct=248

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ProFTPd
by Richard Lewis 31 Mar '06

31 Mar '06

Hello, I've just changed my FTP daemon from ftpd to ProFTP so that I can set up anonymous FTP access to my server. Anonymous and normal accounts both work but I can only login from the localhost. If I try to login from elsewhere I get: ftp> open domain.net Connected to domain.net. 500 Sorry, no server available to handle request on domain.net Does anyone know how I can make it possible to login from anywhere? Cheers, Richard -- --------------------------- Richard Lewis Sonic Arts Research Archive http://www.sara.uea.ac.uk/ ---------------------------

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linux file/print server at home
by Neill Lillywhite 31 Mar '06

31 Mar '06

hi i'm new to linux but do have a wide experience in XP. however, not much networking beyond basic workgroups i'm looking to revamp my home network now the kids want their own PCs and i'm looking at configurations what i want to be able to do is: * store all the various people's data on a single server and back it up from there as appropriate * map the various 'My Documents' folders on the PCs directly to folders/shares on the server * share some printers on that server * i don't need true 'roving profiles' as such (but that /is /a possibility - my only concern really is the bandwidth overhead associated with XP syncing on logoff) * what i do need to do is have the various user folders read/writeable by the users *and *readable by the server admin group (ie: me) * any password changes that the XP users make need to be automatically synced with the various server accounts most of the PCs will be 'single user' only but one will need to allow 2 users access to their files - so if i go for roaming profiles fine, if not it's 2 users on that PC i guess i've done a fair bit of reading around this and am currently tinkering with fedora 5 trying to get it to act as a PDC - with spectacular lack of success thus far it has to be said !! so, first question i need to answer is - given the above functionality needs do i go down the workgroup or domain route ? once i know that i can practice on the fedora box and try to get it to do whatever i need to and take it from there (of course whatever route i go down i'm bound to screw up and come begging for help - but let's leave that for another day !!) thanks for all and any advice/suggestions neill

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Re: main Digest, Vol 9, Issue 32
by Tony 31 Mar '06

31 Mar '06

Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:37:34 +0100 From: "Keith Watson" <keith.watson(a)kewill.com> Subject: RE: [ALUG] linux file/print server at home To: <main(a)lists.alug.org.uk> Message-ID: <63F7A21F1CA18143AFDBF28E2A7D6BBA030BDD52(a)endor.kewill-europe.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > From: Paul Sent: 31 March 2006 10:21 > > Hi Neill > > On Wednesday 29 March 2006 17:33, Neill Lillywhite wrote: > > i'm looking to revamp my home network now the kids want their own PCs > > and i'm looking at configurations > > > i've done a fair bit of reading around this and am currently tinkering > > with fedora 5 trying to get it to act as a PDC - with spectacular lack > > of success thus far it has to be said !! > > This sounds like an ideal application for LTSP from > www.ltsp.org - I've seen it in use in a domestic environment > and it appeared to work well. This may not be the best system > to set up without some experience of Linux, but it should > provide some food for thought. > > Of course, for file & printer sharing, a simple Samba server > may suit your needs better. I've never needed to fully > configure it, only once did I have to set up basic services > for a solitary W95/98 box.. If I had to do it again, I would > strongly recommend getting a copy of the "Linux Cookbook" by > Schroder. It covers virtually all the topics encountered when > building a network. > > And when the cookbook fails to answer a question, we are > always here to act as a safety net ;) > > Regards, Paul. I have a feeling that I've seen a thread along similar lines somewhere on the Ubuntu forums (or maybe it was the wiki), anyway why not pop over to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ or http://www.ubuntuforums.org/ and see if the search facility turns up anything? Regards, Keith It is very easy to do with Ubuntu, there are detailed instructions at http://www.howtoforge.com/samba_setup_ubuntu_5.10 but most of the instructions would apply to a Fedora setup. If the OP would like an original copy of Ubuntu, drop me a line and I'll stick a copy in the post. I found it much easier to set up than using Fedora especially using wireless (Ubuntu detected wireless adaptor automatically where Fedora didn't). Tony

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xdcmp
by Peter 31 Mar '06

31 Mar '06

Hoping this is not a silly question.... Is it possible, and if so how, to set up gdm (or kdm or xdm) so that when the login chooser comes up, it only offers the user to log in to an xdcmp session on the server? I have a user who cannot be expected to do anything except turn the machine on and log in. So navigating to xdcmp chooser from the welcome screen is not practical. Peter

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