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console reset
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 26 Sep '02

26 Sep '02

Hi Alug: tty1 has hung in minicom; I have removed the lockfile and stopped the minicom process but have now been left with the image and a flashing cursor and I can't communicate at all with that console. I had a reset problem a few months back, so I looked up the thread we had on that, but they all assume being able to talk directly on that tty. I've read the getty man page, and tried a few things. If I try to kill the process a new one begins and the image remains. "reset tty1" from another console asks for terminal type, I say vt102 and it tells me a bunch of stuff including "kill is ^U", but they all do nothing. It's severely annoying. Jen.

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Console Reset
by John Seago 26 Sep '02

26 Sep '02

It may be of no help at all, but on my system, (Slackware) ^U is the backspace key in SOME circumstances. -- John Seago

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Kernel Dumping garbage to Port 80h
by Wayne Stallwood 24 Sep '02

24 Sep '02

For reasons I won't go into to much, the kernel dumping stuff to port 80 is causing me problems as I use port 80 for something else (some homebrew hardware plugged into my PCI bus) Generally port 80 is only used by the post code in the Bios to output debugging information. When I built my hardware I assumed that after post was complete nothing would be written to 0x80 so it was safe for me to use. Well with any other OS that is true, but Linus has done a dirty hack to fix I/O timing in the kernel. I love having the kernel source :o) Found this gem in /usr/src/linux/include/asm/io.h * Thanks to James van Artsdalen for a better timing-fix than * the two short jumps: using outb's to a nonexistent port seems * to guarantee better timings even on fast machines. * * On the other hand, I'd like to be sure of a non-existent port: * I feel a bit unsafe about using 0x80 (should be safe, though) * * Linus */ #ifdef SLOW_IO_BY_JUMPING #define __SLOW_DOWN_IO "\njmp 1f\n1:\tjmp 1f\n1:" #else #define __SLOW_DOWN_IO "\noutb %%al,$0x80" #endif #ifdef REALLY_SLOW_IO #define __FULL_SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO #else #define __FULL_SLOW_DOWN_IO __SLOW_DOWN_IO #endif Can any of you think of any other port I can get the kernel to write this to that would have the same effect of slowing down I/O but wouldn't be used by any other hardware ? I've got to re-compile the kernel anyway (to sort out ATM support once and for all on my machine) and I want to add the preemptive patch as well Of course the "better" way would be to fix my hardware, but the only way I can do that is to recode the PIC (microcontroller) I am using but at the moment I can't find the PIC source and it would take me a long time to rewrite. Wayne

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Perl split function...
by Simon 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

HELLPPPP.... OK, I've got an IP address in a variable $address, I know because print qq($ipaddress); gives me the address trying to split it into it's singular octets like so... (As usernames on the system are derived from the last 2 octets of the address) @octets = split(/./, $ipaddress); Now from what I understand the elements in the array @octets should be accessable by $octets[0] etc.. Or while (@octets) { print qq(Octet = $_); } But it doesn't... Or am I way off mark... Please help.... TIA Simon

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Networking Linux to MS Windows through ethernet
by Robert Stelmack 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

First, I am a newbie, I do read the have search the ALUG mail postings, I have RTFM (in fact, I have read way too many FM's) and I just can't get a network between my Linux and Window/98 machine to work to share files. I have to admit that I have tried many things and may have created my own problem, but I want to learn how to fix it without starting from scratch (although, if necessary, I will). When running the SAMBA configurator, under KDE is get the Konqueror message: "Could not connect to host 127.0.0.1 (port 901). I have a Dell 233mhz, Pentium II, Optiplex GXA, with several "on-(mother)board" features: sound, video, ethernet, and USB. The sound, video, and USB function perfectly. I have also attempted to install a second ethernet card and it is physically installed and I did the software changes that one of the HOW-Tos described, but I'm not sure if it was correct, since ifconfig doesn't show it. I have a link below for details. Any help would be greatly appreciated, since I am trying to convince my management to change over from the MS products to the open systems GPL products. Thanks in advance, Cheers, Robert Stelmack Wellingore, Lincolnshire, UK Email (h): stelmack(a)nwlink.com Email (w): robert.h.stelmack(a)boeing.com In order to keep this email message small, I have provided a link (http://e-simassist.com/linux/samba.txt ) to a text file that contains the following: FILE: /etc/samba/sam.conf FILE: running the command testparm /etc/samba/smb.conf FILE: /etc/services FILE: running to command ifconfig

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Re: [Alug] Networking Linux to MS Windows through ethernet
by Jenny_Hopkins＠toby-churchill.com 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

Robert Stelmack wrote: >I just can't get a network between my Linux and Window/98 machine to work to share files. Robert: I see you haven't got an entry for netbios name, try netbios name=<COMPUTERNAME(in capitals)> in the [globals] parameters part of smb.conf and restarting samba. What distribution of linux are you using? Jen.

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Weekly IRC reminder
by Neill Newman 23 Sep '02

23 Sep '02

This is the automated ALUG IRC meeting reminder sent to remind you that there is an IRC meeting tonight (Monday) at 8.00pm. 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 tkirc, bitchx, xchat 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://freshmeat.net/ http://www.epicsol.org/ Windows http://www.mirc.com (loads of help with irc for newbies!)

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Hard Drive performance
by James - listmail 22 Sep '02

22 Sep '02

Message: 2 Date: Tue, 17 Sep 2002 08:51:36 +0100 To: Ian Bell <ruffrecords(a)uklinux.net> Cc: main(a)lists.alug.org.uk Subject: Re: [Alug] Hard Drive performance From: Adam Bower <abower(a)thebowery.co.uk> On Mon, Sep 16, 2002 at 10:44:33PM +0100, Ian Bell wrote: > I mentioned in an earlier post my move from a P!! igig PC to a new dell > laptop with a P4 1.6 gig and how with rh7.3 it seemed slower than the old > system. I have now investigated this a little further. < Snippage - Topic is DMA settings To use, or not to use hdparm... > >Oh and finally hdparm can destroy data on your harddisk if you go for too many >settings and the disk/computer doesn't like them.... Too right! ( For details, and a little PC history read on... ) Message: 3 Subject: Re: [Alug] Hard Drive performance From: Douglas Willis <ddw(a)bas.ac.uk> To: Alug Mailing List <main(a)lists.alug.org.uk> Date: 17 Sep 2002 09:24:48 +0100 >On some of the earlier laptops turning on DMA caused the cdrom drives to >lockup requiring a hare reset of the machine. I this was due to >slightly non standard IDE bus architecture. >I run an IBM A21M which has a PIII ant about 800MHz and now have no >problems with disk access once I turned on the DMA settings. >The RedHat install by default disabled the DMA . This is considered ( quite rightly ) to be the safest default option that will operate properly across all PC architecture hardware. The old timers may remember the war that IBM fought to keep their PC hardware and firmware (BIOS) proprietary - forcing competitors making clone machines to do "clean room" BIOs coding and design their own hardware, too. Gaining a cost and time to market advantage for IBM for quite a while. It guaranteed a lot of flaky hardware designs, too. ( Remember the Amstrad 286 HD fiasco? ) Compaq were established in this era; and never quit designing their own hardware. Even today, when it is no longer necessary, or desirable, to deviate too far from accepted "industry standards". They were beginning to get wise to the fact that it is no longer desirable! Two decades later... Only to be swallowed by HP. Go figure. It is cheaper to use "industry standard" chipsets from a third party than to re-invent complex hardware, in the design process. Some big corporations just failed to adapt, and tried to lock in customers to their particular hardware, when the game had moved on to proprietary lock-ins via software: EULAs and proprietary protocols "embracing and extending" open standards. I can pretty much guarantee data loss ( or total operating system loss ) on *any* Compaq where you attempt to force an OS to use DMA when it is not selected by the default install. Quite a few laptop clones are like the Compaq ( I had a Twinheed one just a few weeks ago ). Desktop PCs can also be found with iffy DMA hardware design. Beware the data corruption bug when shifting large quantities of data between IDE ports on some chipsets, too. ( One range of SiS chipsets suffered from this AFAIR ) Although IDE is a blocking type device, the DMA behaviour can also vary from a single device per IDE port to multiple devices daisy-chained on one IDE port. Had I decided to use a cheaper IDE CD Burner on my SiS chipset Desktop ( 2001 Motherboard design ) I'd have walked right into the data corruption problem! ( I prefer to have at least two separate hardware disk channels, one of them SCSI, for best VM performance, anyway. ). TESTING: If you multiboot with Windows 9x ( perhaps to use Office 97 from Wine ) it is easy to test. Make sure that the Windows boot comes to a real DOS prompt, so you have to start Windows with WIN at the prompt ( edit MSDOS.SYS ). Make COPIES of the registry SYSTEM.D* and USER.D* files! Then - in windows, play with the DMA enables for the IDE Harddrive and CDROM. When windows fails to load you have an answer... ( Restore the registry files, and it should be OK ). I haven't known this to corrupt data on the drive, but I'm not making any promises. The worst that usually happens is that it fails to load the "DOS extender" <*grin*> Try this with Linux, and you will probably trash the filesystem. A disposable Windows test multiboot can be a less shattering test option to determine if your machine has well behaved DMA hardware! But there are no guarantees if you start tweaking hardware related stuff. ( Overclocking is another example ). Eventually, you will reach a point where the probability of a timing error will corrupt data, as timing margins are reduced. Consider that slower disk performance means a higher safety margin against data corruption. The size of IDE hard drives now is such that there is a reasonable statistical likelihood of hitting random data corruption, anyway. -- James To reply by private email DONT delete the "nospam" in Reply To or From header addresses!

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Fwd: Re: [Alug] Speedtouch Modem
by Wayne Stallwood 21 Sep '02

21 Sep '02

I am using the same firmware for both XP and Linux, But that's a good point I'll try some different versions, I'd completely forgotten about the Firmware I've been updating the sourceforge drivers everytime a new version becomes available, but I've never changed the firmware...Doh Thanks I'll give that a go. Given the time I've spent mucking about with this I really should just go out and buy an ADSL Router, but it's become personal now :o) anyway a Router is a waste at home as I only have one machine here. If lots of other people were having this problem I'd just accept that the Alcatel Modem doesn't work very well under Linux and purchase another solution, but seeing as everyone else seems happy with the speedtouch drivers I've GOT to get it working otherwise it's beaten me. and I don't like losing........... On Saturday 21 September 2002 14:15, Adam Bower wrote: > On Sat, Sep 21, 2002 at 02:12:45PM +0000, Wayne Stallwood wrote: > > Also why is it that I have never read (on Usenet, Speedtouch Mailing > > lists or Linux Mailing lists) of anyone else having this problem. It must > > be something specific to my system, I just don't know what. > > some people have experienced different connections with different versions > of the modem firmware you could try.... thinks.... are you using the same > modem firmware with linux as you are with win XP? there are about 6 or 7 > versions try using your mgmt.o file from WinXP with modem_run (or whichever > bit it is) if not you could try different firmwares. To see if the files > are different you can use md5sum under linux. (md5sum mgmt.o) and see if > you get different outputs from that) > > > Incendently what is the difference between usb-uhci and uhci ? Which one > > should I be using to connect my ADSL Modem. (not that it seems to make > > any difference to this problem) > > well use which one works or works better than the other one, I have to use > usb-uhci and the uhci one doesn't work with my modem for some reason > although it will work fine with other usb devices. > > Adam -------------------------------------------------------

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CUPS and Lexmark 5700
by Glen Tyler 20 Sep '02

20 Sep '02

> Dear All, > > another CUPS question I'm afraid, and I know the CUPS and Epson strand > recently was broadcast, but I didn't save all the messages, I wasn't > interested in CUPS until yesterday..:-) > I finally upgraded to KDE3 , on RH7.2, which required me to install CUPS. > Now before on KDE2.2 I had a Lexmark 5700 printing (in B and W) using the > printer config in KDE and a driver lex5700. > Although I have the same config now, nothing comes out when I send a file to > print. I tried to configure CUPS using lynx (my prefered browser), but have > to admit I got a bit lost...I can see that my printer isn't supported, but > what is 'raw'? Anyone know a good newbie guide to CUPS? Is it pointless me > continuing...? Well I probably will anyway, afterall I got my pctel modem > working, and my onboard sound and KDE3...in the end. > BTW I also get the message in CUPS that the print job has gone, but it just > never appears.. > Glen >

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