February 2002 - openSUSE Edu - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Eric Raymond, London, Weds Feb 27th
by Roger Whittaker 22 Feb '02

22 Feb '02

Eric Raymond will speak in London next week. City University, ~6.30pm. The meeting is free, but you must register in advance (online). Details at: http://www.ukuug.org/events/ESR_20020227.shtml This is a UKUUG event. (Eric Raymond is a very good speaker - if you haven't read his stuff go to his home page and look at it: he is the best writer on the Open Source movement there is, possibly.) -- ------------------- Roger Whittaker SuSE Linux Ltd The Kinetic Centre Theobald Street Borehamwood Herts WD6 4PJ ------------------ 020 8387 1482 ------------------ roger(a)suse.co.uk ------------------

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back to samba
by tjones 21 Feb '02

21 Feb '02

After my half-term break i'm back with my old problem of trying to access the folders on my linux box via my NT server. I've been playing alot with samba and here's the config file it is currently using :- # smb.conf - Samba configuration file for website sharing over NT # created by T. Jones 7/2/2002 [global] workgroup = RMNETNT security = domain server string = Manor High Webserver dns proxy = no password server = * smb passwd file = /etc/samba/passwd netbios name = webserver encrypt passwords = yes log file = /etc/samba/smb.log username map = /etc/samba/usermap [internet] path = /websites/internet comment = Internet home read only = no writeable = yes guest ok = yes [intranet] path = /websites/intranet comment = Intranet home read only = no writeable = yes guest ok = yes Anyone got any ideas??

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks
by Chris Puttick 21 Feb '02

21 Feb '02

Don't worry ;-), having paid out for BromCom software you're licenced to use your own working solution over a wireless network. I'm sure that's a load off your mind... -----Original Message----- From: aeh1962 To: Chris Puttick Cc: 'suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com' Sent: 2/20/02 10:45 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks Hi all So, as a Bromcom user who has recently installed a small wireless network (using netgear components) to give access from our demountable huts to the school network, which also happens to be used for registering pupils using bromcoms winfolder software, am I infringing a patent? Interesting, who patented wireless ethernet technology - not frontline and not bromcom thats for sure! Secondly, did frontline patent a system that is slightly more effective at data transfer tha a damp piece of string? because that's how effective our bromcom system is...... As far as I can see using my home designed database to gather pupil data via an ethernet wireless network is not infringing thier patents - at the very least my system does work and not fall flat on it's backside when more than two people try to use it! is it me or is the world going round the bend (maybe frontline are 'flushed' with thier success?)..... Alan Chris Puttick wrote: > > > It may interest you all to know that under the BromCom (sorry, > Frontline Technology) patent, you will now be asked to pay licence > fees if your school uses wireless networks to access student data: My > favourite quote from their FAQ is the one about if you use a > spreadsheet saved over wireless to collect student grades you should > pay licence fees... > > See www.frontline-technology.com for more info. If you have good press > contacts, connections with networking companies or lawyer friends, let > them know. I for one do not appreciate being told I can't use a > wireless network (in my house, school, company...) and look at > information about students I'm otherwise legally entitled to without > paying someone money. > > Regards > > Chris Puttick

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Wireless networks
by Chris Puttick 21 Feb '02

21 Feb '02

It may interest you all to know that under the BromCom (sorry, Frontline Technology) patent, you will now be asked to pay licence fees if your school uses wireless networks to access student data: My favourite quote from their FAQ is the one about if you use a spreadsheet saved over wireless to collect student grades you should pay licence fees... See www.frontline-technology.com for more info. If you have good press contacts, connections with networking companies or lawyer friends, let them know. I for one do not appreciate being told I can't use a wireless network (in my house, school, company...) and look at information about students I'm otherwise legally entitled to without paying someone money. Regards Chris Puttick

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks
by Bruce Miller 21 Feb '02

21 Feb '02

Don't know what all this discussion is about. Wireless is dead in the water. It is banned and shouldn't even be used. Well, at least that is what I understand to be the case: > Check out the text on Airsnort. This clever little program can be easily downloaded; and runs on Linux by the way! AirSnort is a wireless LAN (WLAN) tool which recovers encryption keys. AirSnort operates by passively monitoring transmissions, computing the encryption key when enough packets have been gathered. 802.11b, using the Wired Equivalent Protocol (WEP), is crippled with numerous security flaws. Most damning of these is the weakness described in "Weaknesses in the Key Scheduling Algorithm of RC4 " by Scott Fluhrer, Itsik Mantin and Adi Shamir. Adam Stubblefield was the first to implement this attack, but he has not made his software public. AirSnort, along with WEPCrack, which was released about the same time as AirSnort, are the first publicly available implementaions of this attack. AirSnort requires approximately 100M-1GB of data to be gathered. Once enough packets have been gathered, AirSnort can guess the encryption password in under a second. > Also this weeks news! Whitehall refuses to back wireless Lans By Andrew Donoghue [14-02-2002] The government has effectively banned the use of wireless local area networks due to security concerns. The Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG), which approves technology for use by government departments, has not approved any wireless Lans and will not do so until better levels of encryption are available. Computing last year revealed the ease with which unencrypted signals from wireless networks can be intercepted (Computing, 15 November). A spokesman for the CESG says each government department can make a decision on whether to use wireless Lans, but the CESG advises them not to use the technology at present. "This technology is attractive from a functional point of view but it carries certain security risks. These have been documented in the media," he said. "The assumption was that these were quite sophisticated things and it would need a very sophisticated person to attack them. That is not necessarily the case anymore." The CESG says no wireless technology has been approved under its Assisted Product scheme which approves IT products as 'suitable for purchase by HM Government as well as the UK public sector.' The effective ban has been in place for at least 12 months, says Paul Docherty technical director at government advisor Portcullis Security. Sorry if this bursts some people's bubbles. Regards to all, Bruce Miller.

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks
by Chris Puttick 20 Feb '02

20 Feb '02

If you want to use the broadest interpretation, then think on this: School receptionist: Good morning, City High, can I help you? Parent (using mobile): Hi, this is Mrs Smith. I was just checking my son is in school. Can you check that for me? School receptionist: Sorry, I can't reveal that information to you unless you can demonstrate you've paid your Frontline licence fee... Of course, if any yuppie types in the 80 ever did that, that would be fine prior art. -----Original Message----- From: Robert J Gautier To: Chris Puttick Cc: 'suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com' Sent: 2/20/02 1:09 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks On Wed, 20 Feb 2002, Chris Puttick wrote: > It may interest you all to know that under the BromCom (sorry, Frontline > Technology) patent, you will now be asked to pay licence fees if your school > uses wireless networks to access student data: My favourite quote from their > FAQ is the one about if you use a spreadsheet saved over wireless to collect > student grades you should pay licence fees... > > See www.frontline-technology.com for more info. If you have good press > contacts, connections with networking companies or lawyer friends, let them > know. I for one do not appreciate being told I can't use a wireless network > (in my house, school, company...) and look at information about students I'm > otherwise legally entitled to without paying someone money. To really take this seriously, shouldn't any school that might use a WAN to access student records get written assurance from whoever provides its telecoms (e.g. BT, NTL) that its data will never be routed over radio? This is a sad example of an `invention' that simply ignores sound design; it really shouldn't matter how the data is moved. It's as silly as patenting file transfer over ISDN. Bob G

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks
by Chris Puttick 20 Feb '02

20 Feb '02

I don't think their patent even applies to generic wireless networks, but the breadth they're trying to claim would indeed cover SMS. -----Original Message----- From: Paul To: Chris Puttick Sent: 2/20/02 2:28 PM Subject: Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Wireless networks On Wednesday 20 February 2002 12:52 pm, you wrote: > It may interest you all to know that under the BromCom (sorry, > Frontline Technology) patent, you will now be asked to pay licence > fees if your school uses wireless networks to access student data: My > favourite quote from their FAQ is the one about if you use a > spreadsheet saved over wireless to collect student grades you should > pay licence fees... > > See www.frontline-technology.com for more info. If you have good > press contacts, connections with networking companies or lawyer > friends, let them know. I for one do not appreciate being told I > can't use a wireless network (in my house, school, company...) and > look at information about students I'm otherwise legally entitled to > without paying someone money. > Anyone know if their patent applies to SMS too? -- Paul Hornshaw

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OT - Simple Optics Supply
by Simon Wood 20 Feb '02

20 Feb '02

Hi, a little off topic I'm afraid, but I thought that someone in the school field might know. Does anyone know/recommend a mail-order supplier of simple optics (single focus lens, prisms) suitable for a home project? Ideally the supplier would accept small orders and take credit card payments. Otherwise I fear I'm going to have to hassle my optician. Simon Wood

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Linux Communication Server for School Internet)
by adrian.wells 20 Feb '02

20 Feb '02

It looks very nice and well laid out but the letters are all mixed up! I'm reading it on a 98 box using IE4 could this be the reason? :-) ---------- > From: Paul Sutton <psutton(a)uklinux.net> > To: SUSE schools mailing list <suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com> > Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Linux Communication Server for School Internet) > Date: 19 February 2002 20:25 > > Hi I though this would be of interest to people working in schools, I found > it on a seul/edu posting. > > http://slis.ac-grenoble.fr/ > > > Hope this helps, > > > -- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe(a)suse.com > For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help(a)suse.com >

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Linux Communication Server for School Internet)
by Paul Sutton 19 Feb '02

19 Feb '02

Hi I though this would be of interest to people working in schools, I found it on a seul/edu posting. http://slis.ac-grenoble.fr/ Hope this helps,

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