January 2001 - openSUSE Edu - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Re:Double Entry Book Keeping
by suse＠glanymor.carms.sch.uk 19 Jan '01

19 Jan '01

Thanks for all the suggestions. What's the minimum spec I would need for a standalone NIS server? Would this approach allow clients (all Win9X and NT) to change their passwords in a similar way to samba or would all password changes need to be made centrally(so to speak)? Mike Rees Ysgol Glanymor School Heol Elfed Burry Port Llanelli SA16 0AL

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] BETT comments - lets be fair!
by adrian.wells 19 Jan '01

19 Jan '01

Hi mark, My reply was to the questions, not you, please don't be offended, but your probably right about me being a bigot. I'm sure that the NME would agree with you! And I think that I agree with most of what you have now said. But a few of points. 1) Sorry that you don't support Charset iso-8859-1 (why not, your using LINUX aren't you? So tweak it!) (Charsets are never an issue on my crappy old 98m/c here) - I have never had Netscape on the LINUX box display anything big enough to read at less than a foot from the screen! - how DO you do that? 2) An observation, it's always the beleaguered that whine. Windows users don't harp on about other OS, but everyone has a pop at windows. You have to admit that most PC users on the planet use windows and whether they are sheep or flies has no bearing, the machines work for them, so there MUST be something to be leant here, sticking your head in the sand or pointing out the bad things doesn't help. - or maybe it could, see below. 3) I'm not a great fan of windows per sa 4) I think that the ratio of administrators to users is in the users favour. 5) Yes windows is a waste of time as a workstation, especially in a school. 6) Pressing return during an installation is hardly taxing on the grey matter, even if you have to run around fifty machines once in a blue moon, but in any case many set-up script files can be modified - if your very keen. Sometimes I give the user choices when installing my software, sometimes I force the issue. It installs either way, no need to find who complied the OS etc. it just works. 7) you may have realized that by now I'm not a fan of thin client either! So, lets have a list on a postcard of 5 things in LINUX that sucks and 5 things in other OS that are groovy, put them all together and improve LINUX even more and make it a real rival for those other OS out there. I'll try to start it off (in no particular order.) LINUX Bad bits. 1) Hard to find installed apps. (what does "Find Apps" do anyway?) 2) messy config. files. 3) Installing Apps - what a palaver! 4) Almost too flexible - hence doz. of different flavours ( this can/will cause fracture ). 5) Too many unnecessary user settings - Most things don't work because you forgot to set xyz or point this at that - that's why I have a computer, to do the bits that I shouldn't have to worry about. - This really should be catered for by the person writing the software, not the installer! Other OS good bits. 1) circa Win95 help files. These are brill. 2) MAC, Win etc. app installation. 3) Initial support for new technology by industry. 4) Ease of installing out of the box. 5) MAC, WIN, confidence from users, purchasers and business in general. PS I thought MACs were the way to go when I had a classic II, but they have stagnated. Modern MACs are just fast, coloured classics in see-through boxes. At least Windows machines have evolved. ---------- > From: Mark Evans <mpe(a)st-peters-high.devon.sch.uk> > To: Adrian Wells <adrian-wells(a)175-nbr.freeserve.co.uk> > Cc: suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com > Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] BETT comments - lets be fair! > Date: 18 January 2001 07:32 > > [Charset iso-8859-1 unsupported, filtering to ASCII...] > > I'd like to take issue if I may, let's be fair! > > > > > > > > good enough to share a corner with SuSE so I suppose we can > > > > say they support the concept! So where was Applix even if it > > > > does only seem to spell in Ameriglish; the only Corel Office > > > > was for 'doze, virtually nothing was web-based and many stands > > > > said, "the government don't specify it and none of the schools > > > > are asking for it." > > > That's the commercial world for you only supplying what people ask for! :-) > > Or maybe people only ask for something they know a supplier supplys, > or suppliers only keep records of equiries of things they supply. > > > > > > Often a lot of the Windows stuff is a pig to deploy on networks > > > too. i.e. you get told things to the effect of "we don't know > > > what needs changing in C:\WINDOWS to get the program to work, > > > but it's *easy* to just run the install program on every machine". > > Yep! you just run setup and off it goes. sometimes you need to restart the > > computer afterwards. Too easy by far. I suppose that you could write a batch > > file, as I did on our Novell server, and low, every machine that needed the > > program to be loaded got it, I only had to switch it on. Wow, that was hard! > > So how do you get a batch file to supply the user input which SETUP.EXE > is now sat there waiting for? The basic assumption of Windows setup > programs is that someone, who knows what they are doing, is sat in front > of the machine... > > > > > (Let alone such stupidity as programs which need write access > > > to files to be able to open them.) > > That IS silly! :-) > > It's a consequence of software producers only testing their software > on stand alone machines. Remember that with commercial software, especially > where there is some kind of "captive market", quality control isn't > high on the list of priorities. > > > >(IME with the latter catagory often the software > > > vendor dosn't have much of a clue about how Windows works in the > > > first place.) > > Don't know what IME means but... > > I bet your wife makes sure that you have a nice crisp white shirt ready to > > I'm not married, so your bigoted analogy breaks anyway. > > > wear every morning and yet has no idea how the washing machine works, what > > chemicals are in the soap or what that triangle sign in the collar of the > > shirt really means. The workings SHOULD be transparent, that's progress. > > A better analogy would be a car (or for that matter washing machine) > manufacture who didn't supply service manuals. > > > > > > > So, how about making a point of enquiring loudly if the stands > > > > are supporting open-source (they often haven't got a clue!) > > > > when some piece of useful software catches your eye? Becta was > > > > encouraging in their support for multi-platform approaches but > > > > Capita (SIMS/EMS) 1) didn't know what I was talking about and > > > > then 2) when someone did they don't expect to make any changes. > > > > > That's interesting. When did you ask them this? Since I spoke > > > to them of Thursday complaining about their effectivly forcing > > > the use of Windows NT for the next version of SIMS. > > > The idea that the "S in "SQL" is "standard" appears to be beyond > > > people... > > > (Managed to get them to admit that their being a "Microsoft > > > Solutions Provider" might render them less that impartial.) > > They also ACTUALLY force one to use NT for mentor3 and capita are very keen > > on Fox Pro and have no idea what SQL is 'cus they don't use it! > > Also (by the way), Capita will not support 98 workstations but do support > > 95! even though they're more stable, and tell customers all sorts of scare > > stories (we've never had any probs.) > > > > okay that's enough ranting, off to hear my boy read now. > > > > Oh, sorry, there was a point, LINUX and windows ARE different, but as far as > > non technical users are concerned, LINUX has miles to go before it is easy > > to use, it's moving fast, but still has a way to go. > > So far as *SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS* are concerned (which is what the original > post was about) Windows has light years to go before it is as simple > and straightforward as Linux. > > Even the oft repeated claim about Windows being easier to use, is suspect. > Since Windows allows (even expects) non technical users to perform system > administration tasks. (As well as doing a great many things which baffle > the same people who which it is supposedly "easy to use". e.g. forgetting > about network printers at random, remembering old passwords afther they > have been changed, spewing up CPU registers in hex, etc.) > Whilst Windows might be a good choice for the average, end user administered, > "home" machine. Put it on a network with a system administrator and it > becomes less than ideal. Indeed abilities such as the easy end user install > of software then become a liability. > > -- > Mark Evans > St. Peter's CofE High School > Phone: +44 1392 204764 X109 > Fax: +44 1392 204763 >

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Double Entry Book Keeping
by SuSE 19 Jan '01

19 Jan '01

Hi In school we have two linux servers running suse 6.3. One is being used as a fileserver and squid proxy for staff the other is a squid proxy for students and mailserver for the whole school. At the moment I have to create and mirror the username and password for each new (staff) user on both machines so that they can access files and email with the same name and password. What I'd like to know is there a (simple!!) way of creating/updating user details on one machine in sync with details on another machine?...or am I just being lazy! TIA Mike Rees Systems Manager Ysgol Glanymor School Heol Elfed Burry Port Llanelli SA16 0AL Tel 01554 832507 Fax 01554 836110 mike(a)glanymor.carms.sch.uk

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useradd newbie -g students
by Russell Webley 19 Jan '01

19 Jan '01

I have a related question to Mikes... My school runs a centralized database that contains the names of every student and member of staff.... Is there a way to use a text file to automatically generate users? The database is capable of generating unique names and passwords. We have a linux box running apache to provide webspace for each student... adding everyone through the command line or linuxconf would be a real pain.... cheers, Russell

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Newbie - Network setup problems
by Edgehill E-Mail Service 19 Jan '01

19 Jan '01

Strangely, I tried 3com 509c's under Linux some time ago. They have never been the same since :( I'm not sure if the problem is in the set-up or the card, but I had the same response from my own system. I ended up using VIA-Rhine PCI cards instead. Regards, Paul. <SysAdm(a)edgecoll.clara.net> ICT Manager Edgehill College Bideford -------------------------------------------------------------- Legal Advisory: Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000. --------------------------------------------- You are warned that all electronic communications are subject to interception for regulatory, quality control and crime detection purposes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Edgehill IT Department Email Service. Please check sender's address from body of Message for return address. Find us at: www.edgecoll.clara.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------- > From: acraig <acraig(a)grammar.org.uk> > To: suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com > Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Newbie - Network setup problems > Date: 18 January 2001 15:56 > > Hi folks > > Setting up new machine and new install of linux. > > Set up minimal install. > Used Yast to set up IP address / gateway. > Used Hard config to specify network card type (3Com 3C509) > > Tried to ping IP address - "Network unreachable" > Tried rebooting to see if all programs needed would be run > next time round - still no good. > > > Any suggestions (or pointers to suitable (easy) text) > > > Many thanks > > Best regards > Alan Craig > PT CDT > Aberdeen Grammar School >

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RM and Linux
by Edgehill E-Mail Service 18 Jan '01

18 Jan '01

Just a thought... take a look at: http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=www.rmplc.co.uk Mark New, Assistant Admin <mnew-it(a)edgecoll.clara.net> Edgehill College -------------------------------------------------------------- Legal Advisory: Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000. --------------------------------------------- You are warned that all electronic communications are subject to interception for regulatory, quality control and crime detection purposes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Edgehill IT Department Email Service. Please check sender's address from body of Message for return address. Find us at: www.edgecoll.clara.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Newbie - Network setup problems
by acraig 18 Jan '01

18 Jan '01

Hi folks Setting up new machine and new install of linux. Set up minimal install. Used Yast to set up IP address / gateway. Used Hard config to specify network card type (3Com 3C509) Tried to ping IP address - "Network unreachable" Tried rebooting to see if all programs needed would be run next time round - still no good. Any suggestions (or pointers to suitable (easy) text) Many thanks Best regards Alan Craig PT CDT Aberdeen Grammar School

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SIMS replacement
by Derek Harding 18 Jan '01

18 Jan '01

I haven't really looked much but http://www.dfee.gov.uk/ims has some info. -- Best wishes, Derek Harding, (BA MIAP) ICT & Network Manager hardingd(a)warlingham.surrey.sch.uk

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Sendmail Configuration
by Matt Hinds 18 Jan '01

18 Jan '01

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me in sorting out a sendmail configuration problem. Currently we have one mailbox at our ISP (multi-drop) with which we use fetchmail to retrieve the mail and sendmail to distribute to the appropriate users. However I've noticed that when users sign up to distribution lists their e-mail address is not recognised and instead it get's delivered to the root mailbox. Is there anyway of resolving this and getting the address parsed correctly? I've noticed in the mail headers the users e-mail address is documented (in the form <extra information>-<username>=<domain name>)), is it possible to parse this somehow with a rule? If so where does this go? Cheers, Matt Hinds ICT Systems Manager Heworth Grange Comprehensive School Tel: +44 (191) 420 2204 Fax: +44 (7092) 029 624 Mobile: +44 (7803) 589 722

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Sendmail Configuration
by kevin.taylor＠powerconv.alstom.com 18 Jan '01

18 Jan '01

> Is there anyway of resolving this and getting the address parsed correctly? This would also be a problem with bcc: email too. This is why the fetchmail FAQ recommends that you don't use it (although this states that you will lose email - when you actually just end up with it being delivered to the default user ...) There is a work around but it is a real pain - if you have specific users that subscribe to different mailing lists, then you could put a fetchmail line in which states (for example) suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com is 'my address' here (forget the syntax, but you get the idea :-) Told you it was not nice. The only solution that I know of, is to get your ISP to insert some kind of 'envelope' header, which lists the real recipient of the email. Fetchmail then knows who to send the email to every time. This is what uklinux.net do - and how I handle multidrop email on my Linux box at home. I believe freeserve may do it too .. not sure. Some ISPs won't do this as it has privacy issues - there is now a record of the bcc address in the email headers, etc. If you forward me an email (or view the email headers yourself) I could have a look for you ... Kevin.

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