SuSE Linux Looking Better than Ever
I have been working with one of the other linux distributions at work. (It goes without saying that I run _SuSE_ Linux on my own workstation.) I'm sure part of the reason I like SuSE better is because of familiarity. Nonetheless, my overall impression is SuSE is better organized regarding configuration files in /etc, and etc. I've also discovered a few gotchas in the other distribution which cost me and my coworkers a considerable amount of time. There may be features of the other distribution which I have yet to discover and which provide the same kind of ease of management we find in YaST, but from what I've seen, SuSE's distribution is *far* easier to manage. I know YaST isn't Open Source, and the purists can find fault in that. I don't believe YaST breaks the Open Source model or threatens to 'fork' Linux. These are issues worth keeping in mind when comparing distribution. It's important there is never a Redmond style monopoly in Linux. If I understand correctly, YaST merely serves to automatically organize the Linux configuration in accordance with the LSB. I'm happy to report that my, MCSE, Microsoft-is-All, boss has taken a great liking to Linux. He is actually pushing to move some aspects of our project to Linux. The next step is to sneak a SuSE install onto one of our systems over the weekend so I can show off the capabilities. To give just one example of how YaST(2) facilitates management, our office sysadmin told me she uses a tool called Nmap. I had been looking at NetSaint, Saint, Ksnuffle, and the rather neglected KNetDump. I reasoned that if Nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution CDs. All I had to do was click on the YaST2 software installation icon, browse to the nmap (or was it XNmap?) and install it by giving the root password. Keep up the good work SuSE! Steven
Hello Steven; I have a quick question if you do not mind. You mentioned. " .....YaST merely serves to automatically organize the Linux configuration in accordance with the LSB." What doe LSB stand for? Sorry for the simple question. I am still learning. Bob On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:12, Steven T. Hatton wrote:
I have been working with one of the other linux distributions at work. (It goes without saying that I run _SuSE_ Linux on my own workstation.) I'm sure part of the reason I like SuSE better is because of familiarity. Nonetheless, my overall impression is SuSE is better organized regarding configuration files in /etc, and etc. I've also discovered a few gotchas in the other distribution which cost me and my coworkers a considerable amount of time.
There may be features of the other distribution which I have yet to discover and which provide the same kind of ease of management we find in YaST, but from what I've seen, SuSE's distribution is *far* easier to manage. I know YaST isn't Open Source, and the purists can find fault in that. I don't believe YaST breaks the Open Source model or threatens to 'fork' Linux. These are issues worth keeping in mind when comparing distribution. It's important there is never a Redmond style monopoly in Linux. If I understand correctly, YaST merely serves to automatically organize the Linux configuration in accordance with the LSB.
I'm happy to report that my, MCSE, Microsoft-is-All, boss has taken a great liking to Linux. He is actually pushing to move some aspects of our project to Linux. The next step is to sneak a SuSE install onto one of our systems over the weekend so I can show off the capabilities.
To give just one example of how YaST(2) facilitates management, our office sysadmin told me she uses a tool called Nmap. I had been looking at NetSaint, Saint, Ksnuffle, and the rather neglected KNetDump. I reasoned that if Nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution CDs. All I had to do was click on the YaST2 software installation icon, browse to the nmap (or was it XNmap?) and install it by giving the root password.
Keep up the good work SuSE!
Steven
Never mind I answered my own question. It is Linux Standard Base. I found it at http://www.linuxbase.org/ I should have looked before I jumped. bob On Saturday 16 February 2002 03:04, Robert Barish wrote:
Hello Steven; I have a quick question if you do not mind. You mentioned. " .....YaST merely serves to automatically organize the Linux configuration in accordance with the LSB." What doe LSB stand for?
Sorry for the simple question. I am still learning.
Bob
On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:12, Steven T. Hatton wrote:
I have been working with one of the other linux distributions at work. (It goes without saying that I run _SuSE_ Linux on my own workstation.) I'm sure part of the reason I like SuSE better is because of familiarity. Nonetheless, my overall impression is SuSE is better organized regarding configuration files in /etc, and etc. I've also discovered a few gotchas in the other distribution which cost me and my coworkers a considerable amount of time.
There may be features of the other distribution which I have yet to discover and which provide the same kind of ease of management we find in YaST, but from what I've seen, SuSE's distribution is *far* easier to manage. I know YaST isn't Open Source, and the purists can find fault in that. I don't believe YaST breaks the Open Source model or threatens to 'fork' Linux. These are issues worth keeping in mind when comparing distribution. It's important there is never a Redmond style monopoly in Linux. If I understand correctly, YaST merely serves to automatically organize the Linux configuration in accordance with the LSB.
I'm happy to report that my, MCSE, Microsoft-is-All, boss has taken a great liking to Linux. He is actually pushing to move some aspects of our project to Linux. The next step is to sneak a SuSE install onto one of our systems over the weekend so I can show off the capabilities.
To give just one example of how YaST(2) facilitates management, our office sysadmin told me she uses a tool called Nmap. I had been looking at NetSaint, Saint, Ksnuffle, and the rather neglected KNetDump. I reasoned that if Nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution CDs. All I had to do was click on the YaST2 software installation icon, browse to the nmap (or was it XNmap?) and install it by giving the root password.
Keep up the good work SuSE!
Steven
On Sat, Feb 16, 2002 at 03:09:01AM -0800, Robert Barish wrote:
To give just one example of how YaST(2) facilitates management, our office sysadmin told me she uses a tool called Nmap. I had been looking at NetSaint, Saint, Ksnuffle, and the rather neglected KNetDump. I reasoned that if Nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution CDs. All I had to do was click on the YaST2 software installation icon, browse to the nmap (or was it XNmap?) and install it by giving the root password.
Keep up the good work SuSE!
Steven
I wanted to make a comment about "if nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution". While SuSE includes a gigantic number of useful applications, maybe the best mix of any distribution, the open source development community moves too fast and produces too much for anyone to include everything. There are several very useful applications, some only available in source code form that SuSE does not include: gnut -- console based gnutella client (source) logcheck/logsentry -- log monitor and report program (source) mplayer -- Divx, DVD and other format movie player (source) lame -- MP3 encoder (source) The point I want to make is that just because it's not on the SuSE CDs, don't assume the program is not worth anything. Best Regards, Keith -- LPIC-2, MCSE, N+ wielder of vi(m), an ancient, dangerous and powerful magic free your mind, and your OS will follow
On Sat, Feb 16, Keith Winston wrote:
I wanted to make a comment about "if nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution". While SuSE includes a gigantic number of useful applications, maybe the best mix of any distribution, the open source development community moves too fast and produces too much for anyone to include everything. There are several very useful applications, some only available in source code form that SuSE does not include:
Yes, and the biggest problem is: With our internal packages we could even fill 2 DVDs. Maybe if everybody has a DVD player, we can increase the number of DVDs.
gnut -- console based gnutella client (source) logcheck/logsentry -- log monitor and report program (source) mplayer -- Divx, DVD and other format movie player (source) lame -- MP3 encoder (source)
The point I want to make is that just because it's not on the SuSE CDs, don't assume the program is not worth anything.
We don't put Source only packages on our CDs and I'm not sure if we are really allowed to put the sources of all of the four packages on our CDs (at least we are not allowed to but binaries of them on our CDs). Putting source only packages on CDs has the problem that you need to write very good documentation how the people are able to compile them, far to expensive. The people who are able to compile this sources are also able to download the latest working source from the net. Thorsten -- Thorsten Kukuk http://www.suse.de/~kukuk/ kukuk@suse.de SuSE Linux AG Deutschherrenstr. 15-19 D-90429 Nuernberg -------------------------------------------------------------------- Key fingerprint = A368 676B 5E1B 3E46 CFCE 2D97 F8FD 4E23 56C6 FB4B
On Sat, Feb 16, 2002 at 03:06:16PM +0100, Thorsten Kukuk wrote:
Yes, and the biggest problem is: With our internal packages we could even fill 2 DVDs. Maybe if everybody has a DVD player, we can increase the number of DVDs.
I understand the problem. Don't get me wrong, my comments were not meant as a criticism. I just want people to know that some great software is out there beyond what is on the CD/DVDs.
We don't put Source only packages on our CDs and I'm not sure if we are really allowed to put the sources of all of the four packages on our CDs (at least we are not allowed to but binaries of them on our CDs). Putting source only packages on CDs has the problem that you need to write very good documentation how the people are able to compile them, far to expensive. The people who are able to compile this sources are also able to download the latest working source from the net.
Thorsten
By the way, I would like to thank you for your great work on the NIS packages. NIS is important to compete directly against NT/2K and Novell in small to medium sized networks where a central directory solution is required. Sincerely, Keith -- LPIC-2, MCSE, N+ wielder of vi(m), an ancient, dangerous and powerful magic free your mind, and your OS will follow
On Saturday 16 February 2002 21:06, Thorsten Kukuk wrote:
Yes, and the biggest problem is: With our internal packages we could even fill 2 DVDs. Maybe if everybody has a DVD player, we can increase the number of DVDs.
Why not seperate SuSe into 3 flavor? * personal = 3 CD * Pro = 7 CD or 1 DVD * More Pro = 2 DVD ???????
No, because it saved me from having to look it up. :-) Thanks will
* Steven T. Hatton (hattons@bellatlantic.net) [020216 01:17]: ->To give just one example of how YaST(2) facilitates management, our office ->sysadmin told me she uses a tool called Nmap. I had been looking at ->NetSaint, Saint, Ksnuffle, and the rather neglected KNetDump. I reasoned ->that if Nmap is worth anything, it is on the SuSE distribution CDs. All I ->had to do was click on the YaST2 software installation icon, browse to the ->nmap (or was it XNmap?) and install it by giving the root password. You can get nmap for SuSE simply by getting it from fresh meat. It has a GTK front end simply named nmapfe...or your sys. admin can do what we other sys. admins do and use the commandline version :) It's free and open source. The Windows version has premade packages or so I'm told..but it requires libs that are not found under Windows and those libs cost money. She maybe quite happy that she can get the whole shibang for nothing..nada..the price of a download :) I use nmap and scanssh on a daily basis because we have over 1500 servers and 3500 Unix workstation across 6 networks and we have to keep on these people to update..update..update. If you could imagine this could be one hell of a DoS cluster *grin*. Go check out freshmeat.net and get the src. If she wanted she could even use a PC X server and display it on her desktop..but since it does everything she would need straight from the commandline..she should be able to just use an SSH client. :) -----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====----- Ben Rosenberg mailto:ben@whack.org -----=====-----=====-----=====-----=====----- "I've never been quarantined. But the more I look around the more I think it might not be a bad thing." -JC
On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:54 pm, Ben Rosenberg wrote:
You can get nmap for SuSE simply by getting it from fresh meat. It has a GTK front end simply named nmapfe...or your sys. admin can do what we other sys. admins do and use the commandline version :)
They both are included with SuSE 7.3 Pro. (Probably earlier versions too.)
Sunday 17 February 2002 02:18 am Joshua Lee wrote:
On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:54 pm, Ben Rosenberg wrote:
You can get nmap for SuSE simply by getting it from fresh meat. It has a GTK front end simply named nmapfe...or your sys. admin can do what we other sys. admins do and use the commandline version :)
They both are included with SuSE 7.3 Pro. (Probably earlier versions too.)
It would appear xnmap is merely another name for nmapfe. I will say using the GUI saved me a LOT of time on the learning curve. I really didn't feel like learning yet another fine tool from man pages and trial and error. To me this particular interface is something of the realization of a dream. It shows me the commandline it's generating when I click the little buttons. Call me a wimp, but it saved me time. Steven
xnamp is a symlink to nmapfe.
Jim
02/17/02 07:32:41 AM, "Steven T. Hatton"
Sunday 17 February 2002 02:18 am Joshua Lee wrote:
On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:54 pm, Ben Rosenberg wrote:
You can get nmap for SuSE simply by getting it from fresh meat. It has a GTK front end simply named nmapfe...or your sys. admin can do what we other sys. admins do and use the commandline version :)
They both are included with SuSE 7.3 Pro. (Probably earlier versions too.)
It would appear xnmap is merely another name for nmapfe. I will say using the GUI saved me a LOT of time on the learning curve. I really didn't feel like learning yet another fine tool from man pages and trial and error. To me this particular interface is something of the realization of a dream. It shows me the commandline it's generating when I click the little buttons. Call me a wimp, but it saved me time.
Steven
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It is in 7.1 Pro also.
Quoting Joshua Lee
On Saturday 16 February 2002 01:54 pm, Ben Rosenberg wrote:
You can get nmap for SuSE simply by getting it from fresh meat. It has a GTK front end simply named nmapfe...or your sys. admin can do what we other sys. admins do and use the commandline version :)
They both are included with SuSE 7.3 Pro. (Probably earlier versions too.)
participants (10)
-
Ben Rosenberg -
deadwill＠cryogen.com -
Isen Kusima -
James Bliss -
Jeffrey Taylor -
Joshua Lee -
Keith Winston -
Robert Barish -
Steven T. Hatton -
Thorsten Kukuk