I had initiated what became a long series of messages re failure of nmap, and failure of other basic system commands on a refurb Dell Optiplex 780 computer obtained from Discount Electronics. It turns out that this computer--maybe all Dells of that 8-year-old vintage--contains a setup system which defines the way that the computer can be used, regarding bootup source, and various things, some of which are not visible, having been deliberately hidden by that very same setup function. This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed. A lot of features which are visible during boot are not reachable by any means, at least by me, and apparently by a man named Joe at Discount Electronics. The computer even has a means of applying a padlock so that it cannot be opened up by a user! During an interchange with Joe, I told him that unless he can tell me how to remove the nanny functions, I would return the computer for refund. He told me that the company does not take back units for refund, only for the sale of a newer computer. This was to be only an interim machine, since all my computers were damaged by lightning. Now I will return it to Windows and donate it. I am fortunately financially able to do that. But I am writing to warn anyone contemplating a purchase from Discount Electronics, DON'T! If you intend to run Linux--as I'm sure all readers here do--then don't purchase from Discount Electronics. And make sure you get a written promise that you will be allowed to return for refund if the machine you purchase (somewhere else!) is not suitable. (For myself, I have come up with an HP laptop on which I will try and run Linux--HP says no problem, but I haven't tried it yet. I have to say that for a machine that originally ran Windows 7, it is impressive with Win 10 on it.) --doug
On Thu, Aug 5, 2021 at 10:11 PM Douglas McGarrett <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> wrote:
I had initiated what became a long series of messages re failure of nmap, and failure of other basic system commands on a refurb Dell Optiplex 780 computer obtained from Discount Electronics.
It turns out that this computer--maybe all Dells of that 8-year-old vintage--contains a setup system which defines the way that the computer can be used, regarding bootup source, and various things, some of which are not visible, having been deliberately hidden by that very same setup function.
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed. A lot of features which are visible during boot are not reachable by any means, at least by me, and apparently by a man named Joe at Discount Electronics. The computer even has a means of applying a padlock so that it cannot be opened up by a user!
During an interchange with Joe, I told him that unless he can tell me how to remove the nanny functions, I would return the computer for refund. He told me that the company does not take back units for refund, only for the sale of a newer computer.
This was to be only an interim machine, since all my computers were damaged by lightning. Now I will return it to Windows and donate it. I am fortunately financially able to do that. But I am writing to warn anyone contemplating a purchase from Discount Electronics, DON'T!
If you intend to run Linux--as I'm sure all readers here do--then don't purchase from Discount Electronics. And make sure you get a written promise that you will be allowed to return for refund if the machine you purchase (somewhere else!) is not suitable.
(For myself, I have come up with an HP laptop on which I will try and run Linux--HP says no problem, but I haven't tried it yet. I have to say that for a machine that originally ran Windows 7, it is impressive with Win 10 on it.)
--doug
Doug, So most of my hardware is Dell, with a few SuperMicro. I have no issues. Most my servers are running openSUSE Tumbleweed. My hardware is old donated. Not sure why you having issues, but I recommend Dells. My main WebApp front end Nginx running openSUSE 15.3 on a SFF Dell optiplex 755, very good luck. I am running Dell Hardware that older than my 17 year son, running 64-Bit TumbleWeed with great success. No issue with NMap, no Nanny program blocking. I also have a few Dell PowerConnect Switches. Sorry you had issues, but it strange. I have some newer optiplex 7xxx seriers I bought off ebay for a $100 that are great Linux Desktops. I can't stand HPE or Lenovo Hardware. -- Terror PUP a.k.a Chuck "PUP" Payne ----------------------------------------- Discover it! Enjoy it! Share it! openSUSE Linux. ----------------------------------------- openSUSE -- Terrorpup openSUSE Ambassador/openSUSE Member skype,twiiter,identica,friendfeed -- terrorpup freenode(irc) --terrorpup/lupinstein Register Linux Userid: 155363 openSUSE Community Member since 2008.
* Douglas McGarrett <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> [08-05-21 22:12]:
I had initiated what became a long series of messages re failure of nmap, and failure of other basic system commands on a refurb Dell Optiplex 780 computer obtained from Discount Electronics.
It turns out that this computer--maybe all Dells of that 8-year-old vintage--contains a setup system which defines the way that the computer can be used, regarding bootup source, and various things, some of which are not visible, having been deliberately hidden by that very same setup function.
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed. A lot of features which are visible during boot are not reachable by any means, at least by me, and apparently by a man named Joe at Discount Electronics. The computer even has a means of applying a padlock so that it cannot be opened up by a user!
During an interchange with Joe, I told him that unless he can tell me how to remove the nanny functions, I would return the computer for refund. He told me that the company does not take back units for refund, only for the sale of a newer computer.
This was to be only an interim machine, since all my computers were damaged by lightning. Now I will return it to Windows and donate it. I am fortunately financially able to do that. But I am writing to warn anyone contemplating a purchase from Discount Electronics, DON'T!
If you intend to run Linux--as I'm sure all readers here do--then don't purchase from Discount Electronics. And make sure you get a written promise that you will be allowed to return for refund if the machine you purchase (somewhere else!) is not suitable.
(For myself, I have come up with an HP laptop on which I will try and run Linux--HP says no problem, but I haven't tried it yet. I have to say that for a machine that originally ran Windows 7, it is impressive with Win 10 on it.)
you are frustrated, but, your only problem is your lack of detail, inability to follow instructions and to provide requested information. the problem is definitely bkac -- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri http://en.opensuse.org openSUSE Community Member facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet freenode
On 2021-08-05 10:10 p.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed.
I still have a tough time believing that. I have worked with PCs for decades including at IBM and have never heard of such a thing. I have also had a couple of Dell computers at work. There is absolutely no reason for Dell to block ping. It does not affect the way a computer performs, but it is a useful tool for the help desk to resolve network problems. I gave you some pings to try. How far did you get? I know you could ping 127.0.0.1, but did you try the PC's address, which I helped you determinine? Did you try pinging the gateway? I also told you how to determine it's address. Did pinging 8.8.8.8 work? Google.com? What results did you get?
On 8/5/21 11:17 PM, James Knott wrote:
On 2021-08-05 10:10 p.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed.
I still have a tough time believing that. I have worked with PCs for decades including at IBM and have never heard of such a thing. I have also had a couple of Dell computers at work. There is absolutely no reason for Dell to block ping. It does not affect the way a computer performs, but it is a useful tool for the help desk to resolve network problems. I gave you some pings to try. How far did you get? I know you could ping 127.0.0.1, but did you try the PC's address, which I helped you determinine? Did you try pinging the gateway? I also told you how to determine it's address. Did pinging 8.8.8.8 work? Google.com? What results did you get?
All right. Some of it seems to be my fault. I went back to James's post and performed the tests he suggested. They work! I also fiddled around with nmap. Based on that post of 8:5, 8:30AM, I tried nmap with 0 as the third value instead of 1, and some addresses were found. But I didn't make up the values that I did try--they used to work! I'M SORRY, FOLKS! I SHOULD HAVE SPENT MORE TIME IN THOUGHT AND LESS IN PRECONCEPTIONS. I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist, and I am going to take some photos of the screen with those items and post them here, assuming the camera interface works. --doug
On 8/6/21 12:19 AM, Douglas McGarrett wrote:
On 2021-08-05 10:10 p.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed. /snip/ I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always
On 8/5/21 11:17 PM, James Knott wrote: like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist, and I am going to take some photos of the screen with those items and post them here, assuming the camera interface works.
--doug
file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/dell 6 aug 3.jpg file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/dell 6 aug 4.jpg file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/P1000371.JPG
Le 06/08/2021 à 08:42, Douglas McGarrett a écrit :
file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/P1000371.JPG
such link wont works on the net :-( jdd -- http://dodin.org
Obviously I'm too stupid to post the pictures. DAMMIT! --doug -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: Discount Electronics - more Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2021 02:42:35 -0400 From: Douglas McGarrett <dmcgarrett@optonline.net> To: users@lists.opensuse.org On 8/6/21 12:19 AM, Douglas McGarrett wrote:
On 2021-08-05 10:10 p.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
This was probably a reasonable approach for the commercial office use it was refurbed from. It is designed to keep a user from messing with the way the computer performed. /snip/ I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always
On 8/5/21 11:17 PM, James Knott wrote: like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist, and I am going to take some photos of the screen with those items and post them here, assuming the camera interface works.
--doug
file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/dell 6 aug 3.jpg file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/dell 6 aug 4.jpg file:///run/media/doug/A820-C5B6/DCIM/100_PANA/P1000371.JPG
On 06.08.21 08:50, Douglas McGarrett wrote:
Obviously I'm too stupid to post the pictures. DAMMIT!
Nah, probably happened to everyone once. Josef "There's no fault I haven't made myself once" -- SUSE Software Solutions Germany GmbH Maxfeldstr. 5 90409 Nürnberg Germany (HRB 36809, AG Nürnberg) Geschäftsführer: Felix Imendörffer
On 2021-08-06 12:19 a.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist,
oh, THAT! Yes that's on my 755 menu option too. What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it? That isn't a shortcoming of the design. heck, you could have bought a machine with a version of Windows which was password protected, or, come to that, a password protected boot ROM. This isn't a hardware problem and is a perfectly reasonable option in the BIOS that can be found on many other brands. -- “Reality is so complex, we must move away from dogma, whether it’s conspiracy theories or free-market,” -- James Glattfelder. http://jth.ch/jbg
Le 06/08/2021 à 13:33, Anton Aylward a écrit :
What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it?
and may be it's only 12345 as it was for me in a similar situation :-) jdd -- http://dodin.org
* jdd@dodin.org <jdd@dodin.org> [08-06-21 09:03]:
Le 06/08/2021 à 13:33, Anton Aylward a écrit :
What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it?
and may be it's only 12345 as it was for me in a similar situation :-)
and there probably is a jumper on the motherboard to reset it, or just removing the cmos battery ... -- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri http://en.opensuse.org openSUSE Community Member facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet freenode
Patrick Shanahan <paka@opensuse.org> hat am 06.08.2021 15:12 geschrieben: * jdd@dodin.org <jdd@dodin.org> [08-06-21 09:03]:
Le 06/08/2021 à 13:33, Anton Aylward a écrit :
What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it?
and may be it's only 12345 as it was for me in a similar situation :-)
and there probably is a jumper on the motherboard to reset it, or just removing the cmos battery ...
This tends to work pretty good for Dell computers: https://bios-pw.org/
On 2021-08-06 9:00 a.m., jdd@dodin.org wrote:
Le 06/08/2021 à 13:33, Anton Aylward a écrit :
What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it?
and may be it's only 12345 as it was for me in a similar situation :-)
Worst case situation: download the list of 100 most common passwords and do a step-and-repeat through them. (And then, ironically, open the case to find a yellow stickie on the MB with the password written on it ....) -- “Reality is so complex, we must move away from dogma, whether it’s conspiracy theories or free-market,” -- James Glattfelder. http://jth.ch/jbg
On 06/08/2021 13.33, Anton Aylward wrote:
On 2021-08-06 12:19 a.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist,
oh, THAT! Yes that's on my 755 menu option too.
What idiot set up the password on your machine and never documented it or cancelled it?
That's the so called nanny software? :-o Just google instructions to reset the setup password in that machine. Or ask the vendor for it. If he refuses, sue. -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from oS Leap 15.2 x86_64 (Minas Tirith))
On 2021/08/06 08:04, Carlos E. R. wrote:
On 06/08/2021 13.33, Anton Aylward wrote:
On 2021-08-06 12:19 a.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist,
Yes, there can be multiple PW's on a dell including a boot PW. To the original poster -- call dell's support and tell them you were sold a computer with the password not cleared and ask if they could help you, or if not, ask if the computer should be reported as stolen goods... If the seller won't give you a refund due to the password not being cleared, you could sue him in small claims court for selling a locked computer and refusing to unlock it or refund the price. At the very least, he should exchange it for the same model for free. If he doesn't have one, then refund.
Just google instructions to reset the setup password in that machine. Or ask the vendor for it. If he refuses, sue.
--- small claims would be ideal -- no lawyer. Don't forget to include per/hour charges for computer repair and diagnostics (time you spent working around this problem). There are even free online apps for doing some lawyerly things google them, or: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+online+apps+to+sue+in+small+claims+court&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/file_a_smalls_claims_suit_anywhere_i... Interesting article, that send URL...
On 2021-08-06 12:19 a.m., Douglas McGarrett wrote:
I'm still somewhat less than happy with this Dell, and I've always like the brand, as some of you out there also do. But the setup routine with the secret password DOES exist, and I am going to take some photos of the screen with those items and post them here, assuming the camera interface works.
It could be the CMOS settings are password protected. That can happen to keep users out.
participants (10)
-
Anton Aylward -
Carlos E. R. -
Chuck Payne -
Douglas McGarrett -
James Knott -
jdd＠dodin.org -
Josef Moellers -
L A Walsh -
Leah Herbach -
Patrick Shanahan