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Ubuntu CDs
by Dave Briggs 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

Hi chaps I had a job lot of Ubuntu 5.10 CDs through the post this weekend. The usual deal, a live CD and an install one. I have them for 'normal' PC, 64-bit and Mac. If anyone would like one (or more!) just send me an email off list with your address. Cheers -- Dave Briggs linux(a)davebriggs.net | http://davebriggs.net | http://davebriggs.net/sclug

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Another newbie joins
by Phil Wade 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

Hi all, I've been asked to "send a short description of why you're interested in Linux to the mailing list" - so here it is. I've been into computers since 1982 (ZX Spectrum - Z80) and am now self-employed helping people with their Windoze machines. I like the politics of open-source software and I thought I'd better learn Linux before I die. I'm very, very old (58). Also, the Reindeer is a decent pub - do they still brew their own beer? -- Phil Wade Norwich

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Weekly IRC reminder
by Brett Parker 05 Dec '05

05 Dec '05

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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FREE
by Bob Dove 04 Dec '05

04 Dec '05

Hi Peter and other members. I know what FREE means! I'm old enough to be ignored rather than told to go back to school (unless it is the U.S College of Irony)! Yes, I'm sure that folks do make a living out of 'Open Source' software as equally other use 'doze to make a living, but what has that to do with a 'FREE' software distribution on a magazine cover. Not only that I also know that folk down load FREE distros from the web and offer them for sale in things like micro mart. I believe I have read notices to the effect that the software is FREE - that is 'no cost' to the end user but the person downloading and offering it to other end user may charge for media used, post and pack &c. Please let me know if I have mis-understood all this 'free' stuff? "Fully paid up" as I said was an indication that I have a fully working installation of Linux and I want to learn how to make it as useful to me as 'doze. I haven't seen any postings on this ALUG that any of the members actually want dosh in exchange for their wisdom (not that I understand much of it as yet), though I'm sure not many would refuse a beer if offered in a certain Norwich hostelry! There doesn't seem to be any shortage of irony either! And no doubt in due course I'll be an adept command line typer! But thanks for the tip about mounting. I did discover that when media was in the drives (the DVD drives anyway) they were mounted. Now I need you get my USB drives recognised. Cheers, BD.

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Re: Suse 10.0 (Bob Dove)
by Peter 03 Dec '05

03 Dec '05

We've been using Suse 9.2 and 9.3 for the last year or so, and also Mandriva - 10.2, 2005 and now 2006. I do find Suse much less usable and much flakier. We are both using Gnome, so the differences are very very clear. The detection of usb peripherals isn't reliable. On Mandriva, you plug in and there they are on the desktop. On Suse, they may or may not be depending on how long you wait and what they are. My flash card reader mostly works, depending on what is in it. My USB pen drive never. On Mandriva, I have never had a partition fail to mount at startup. On Suse (9.2) one partition, a whole disk actually, simply vanished for no apparent reason. Upgraded to 9.3 and back it came. On Mandriva, the interface in either Gnome or KDE seems reasonably laid out. The default version of KDE on all of the Suses seems to have been designed by someone trying to make it look unusable. Then there is package installation. Urpmi really works quite well. YaST has you making pencil notes of whatever else you need to get as a dependency, then its dependencies, and I have actually found myself going around in circles - A requires B which requires A. My impression is that Suse comes with a less complete set of the libraries you need for adding more packages. Yes, you can install apt-rpm and edit the repositories. On Mandriva you don't really need to. Then there are the weirdnesses. Install Sylpheed, get through the dependencies (apt-rpm is essential if you are not to be driven mad by this) and the interface is simply weird - proliferation of folders as a default for instance, terrible fonts, compared to a nice clean look on Mandriva. The file manager - I cannot for the life of me figure out why sometimes when you are looking at a folder of photos, you seem to open in EOG and at other times in some kind of viewer with editing capabilities. And why has the zooming scroll wheel suddenly stopped working? Bottom line: your failing installation is a Message from Above. Someone is saying to you, You Do Not Want This Installation. Get Mandriva 2006 instead! It should have been right there on the stand. If they are out now, I'll copy one for you if you like. If you download the free CDs, you need to use the Mandriva admin centre and then add the official and contribution repositories, but it will lead you through that. You can also install over the net using one of the boot disks. I've done both, on different machines, and found either completely painless. Good luck Peter

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Re: Another newbie joins
by Phil Wade 03 Dec '05

03 Dec '05

> Not quite as old as I am, I beat you by a year, and my computing career > started long before yours - I've earned my keep by programming since > around 1970. Oh dear, does that mean I've let in a goal or something? Do we get to play again? Anyway, I'll bet my dad can beat your dad... :) -- Phil Wade

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Rant from Japan: Linux must give cost-effective performance in business world, surely?
by Tatsuhiko Maegawa 03 Dec '05

03 Dec '05

Rant from Japan My heartfelt thanks first goes to Mark Rey, Paul Russell and Andrew Savory there in Norwich. These guys invited me Linux world, when I was a politics student and did not know much about computing world. Without them, I probably have not arrived to the point where I stand now. Six years is long, and I miss them very much. Now that I live back in Japan for in sixth years period, I felt it is good time to reconsider the use of Linux in business world. Over the time I had business with managers and well wishers who want to have system. Many had no idea of computing world like what I used to. All had same thoughts - fast application development with cheap expenses. All agrees that their imaginary system will be beneficial to everyone. No one knows how to use that system - until it gets there. System being made and time elapsed, you talk to the exact same people, and now they are asking to retrieve informations that have not been asked before. Cost adds up, data structures becoming to look complicated, firely arguments opes, and the end seems imminent. But every single person all agree there must be Microsoft Windows. They all believe Bill Gates provide proper system with fault-torelance guaranteed. All simple, all easy, they say. Not quite, I must admit. Nowadays system is made of OS and open-source programming language. Microsoft .Net (VB/C++/MS Java) is the exception of the talk. MacOSX, Linux, NetBSD will be amongst the choice. Linux and RDBMS is having better relations. MySQL and PostgreSQL are certainly the choice. Even Oracle supports it, providing developer chooses right Linux OS. Apart from choosing Oracle and Linux for RDBMS management, first installation and system management should ended up cheaper. FTP version of Linux still allows essentials that require to run. And if I consider the use of softwares to add up on top of OS fee, it could go up higher. Next, key Criteria of cost. These are backup and restoration, execution, and everyday management. Everyday management consists of log checking, patches, and memory usage. Execution is really the speed of application. Backup and restoration can be the most annoying factor of cost, but let me assume of Disk to Disk to Tape backup solution for now. Like the others I agree GUI gives faster setups and visual confirmation for all. BUT when it comes to automation, the story changes slightly. The answer, in my opinion, is that it won't change much. Speed, execution, and all other issues do not change much. Apart from my home servers, why do I still waive the use of Linux at business? Simply there is not much people who have much skills with Linux, and do not know how to use much of it. Adopting Linux requires some skills to teach and acquire. That said ... really? I saw people taking equal amount of time to understand how Windows works before. So why I still be afraid of using Linux? There seems not much answer against the question. Unfortunately I do not have opportunity to run business with Linux and manage with Linux yet. Needs for Linux was way too low six years ago, but now it seems growing. Look at E*Trade, they run application with Linux. Unless customer wish some fancy features of .NET (such as ClickOnce), I think Linux server system should break the cost barrier and usablity a lot more easier than I first expected of. Tatsuhiko Maegawa tatsuhiko(a)jazzman.jp http://blog.jazzman.jp == This is private mail ==

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Mounting drive
by Bob Dove 02 Dec '05

02 Dec '05

Evening all, As a now fully paid up member of the Linux community, my first query is: In Suse 10.0, in media, both my DVD drives appear. One is a DVD ROM, the other a DVD RW. Once, and once only despite it being the drive the system was installed from, the DVD RW won't mount! Now I have discovered Yast which in hardware/CD shows the two drives - twice. Like DVD RW, DVD ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RW. When Yast/CD is opened, neither have mount points. Asking Yast to mount them is done, the message says changes made so I finish. I close Yast, go back to media and only one drive - the DVD ROM - is mounted. Further, my external USB drive is 'locked' if it show which mostly it doesn't. Any suggestions? There also seems to be a number of apps missing; Krita and KOffice for instance. Cheers, BD.

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Suse 10.0
by Bob Dove 02 Dec '05

02 Dec '05

Hi folks, Visited WH last eve, found a couple (well three actually) mags with new Linux distros on the cover. Suse 10.0 and Ubunto 5.10. I bought Linux mag with Suse 10.0 which as I write is half way through a 2 hour 2.5 gB installation. Cover price for Suse £5.99 on DVD, for Ubunto (on 4 cds) £9.99. Did I hear some-one complaining about 'doze bloat? Well, again as I write (her indoors keeps finding jobs for me to do) the installation froze with just 4 mins to go and nothing but nothing would start the machine up again apart from pulling the plug and restarting. 1: "Do you want to install?" 2; "Do you want to update?" Choosing update, the usual questions come up on screen and after a few minutes blank screen and then a red DOS like error message saying errors encountered and back to boot up screen!! I'll report and undoubtedly ask silly questions in due course! Is that another one bites the dust? Cheers, BD.

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Alternatives to TWiki for single user
by Chris Green 02 Dec '05

02 Dec '05

I have installed TWiki on my Linux box and i works well and has got me writing stuff on the web that I'd otherwise not have done. However I suspect that for quite a lot of what I am doing I am going to be the only user so all the 'co-operative' abilities of TWiki are wasted. What I find really useful are the simple ways to enter information into web pages and the simplicity of creating links within the Wiki. Are there any alternatives out there that would be more suited to a single user developing [mostly text] web pages with lots of cross links? I'd like something that can be used remotely via the web but management etc. can be local (even command line). -- Chris Green (chris(a)areti.co.uk) "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence."

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