June 2002 - openSUSE Edu - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Meeting yesterday and welcome to new members of the list
by Philip Hands 07 Jul '03

07 Jul '03

Roger Whittaker <roger(a)suse-linux.co.uk> writes: > I've just subscribed various people to the list - please post a > message to say hello and introduce yourselves. Hi, If you were at the meeting, I was wearing a Debian t-shirt (with a red swirl logo on it) --- there's a photo at the top of this article, where I'm wearing similar stuff (except for the penguin ;-) http://www.linuxuser.co.uk/articles/issue6/lu6-Editorial-A_patently_bad_ide… I'm a Debian GNU/Linux developer, and run the UK Debian mirror, and am responsible for producing the Debian official CD images: http://www.uk.debian.org/ http://cdimage.debian.org/ I have only a peripheral interest in educational matters, in that I've been frustrated in the past in my efforts to provide free computers (which were otherwise destined for a skip), but I can certainly contribute on a technical side, and having been involved in Debian (which is completely voluntary, like OSIE is expected to be) since 1996 I may be able to make some suggestions about how to ``organise'' such a thing. For those of you who've not come across Debian before, we're a world-wide voluntary organisation (read, chaotic jumble of mailing lists) that puts together a Linux distribution (and soon a HURD distribution) and gives it away. Debian doesn't pay people to do this, and doesn't sell what it produces, and in most legal senses doesn't really exist (i.e. the machines in the mirror network mostly belong to people like me, rather than to Debian, and the bandwidth is donated rather than paid for). This probably gives a pretty good feel for what Debian is all about: http://www.uk.debian.org/social_contract which you will notice leads into the The Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG), which is where the Open Source Definition came from. My internet machine, that hosts the Debian UK mirror, may be of use to OSIE, since it has about 30GB of spare disk, and a 20Mbit/s connection at a well connected ISP. This machine could act as either a primary host or mirror site for the web site, and could do DNS secondarying etc. as well. Something I'd be interested in working on (although perhaps a SuSE list is not the right place to spend too much time discussing this ;-) would be producing Debian CD images, tuned to the needs of educational users. Debian has accumulated some funds in the UK, and have been looking for a worthwhile cause to spend them on (we never really need to pay for anything that actually makes Debian work, so don't have much use for money), so we could probably afford to have a few thousand CDs pressed, and send them out to schools that are interested. Cheers, Phil. -- Say no to software patents! http://petition.eurolinux.org/ Philip Hands. +44 (0)20 7744 6244 philip.hands(a)uk.alcove.com Alcove UK --- Liberating Software --- http://www.alcove.com/ http://www.hands.com/ phil(a)hands.com http://www.uk.debian.org/

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RE NHS Meeting - Bill and Tony
by Alan Harris 18 Sep '02

18 Sep '02

Hi all thought this might be of interest to some of you :- <my email> > Subject: Microsoft and the British Government - Possible Anti-Competitive Behaviour > Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 15:04:20 +0100 > From: alanh(a)bryngwyn.carmarthen.sch.uk > To: Erkki.Liikanen(a)cec.eu.int > > Hi, > > I write regarding the current negotiations between the British > Government and Microsoft in which, to date, Microsoft have been awarded > a contract to supply the National Health Service with some 60 Million > (£)'s worth of software licenses. > > I would be grateful if you could inform me of the current state of the > anti-competition investigation being undertaken by the EU against > Microsoft, as it appears that more such deals (like that for the NHS) > are in the pipeline. As the commisioner with responsibility for the > Information Society I am sure that you are well aware of the potential > for damage being created by such actions. > > Many Thanks > > Alan </my email> <commisioners response> > Subject: RE: Microsoft and the British Government - Possible Anti-Competit ive Behaviour > Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 14:08:31 +0100 > From: Erkki.Liikanen(a)cec.eu.int > To: alanh(a)bryngwyn.carmarthen.sch.uk > CC: Mario.Monti(a)cec.eu.int, Marc.Van-Hoof(a)cec.eu.int, Olli.Rehn(a)cec.eu.int, Per.Haugaard(a)cec.eu.int > > Dear. Mr. Harris, > > I pass your letter to my colleague Mario Monti and his cabinet. He is > responsible for this issue. > But still, during investigation I don't believe much more can be said what > has been in public. > > with best regards > > Erkki Liikanen > > ******************************** > Mr. Erkki Liikanen > Member of the Commission > tel. +32-2-295.79.57 > fax +32-2-295.85.61 > erkki.liikanen(a)cec.eu.int > secretary; kirsi.larjava(a)cec.eu.int > tel. +32-2-295.14.40 > http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/liikanen/index_en.htm > </commissiones response> There may be hope for all of us then? Alan ----------------------------------------------------- Alan Harris Network Manager Bryngwyn School Tel : 01554 750661 Fax : 01554 758255 E-mail: alanh(a)bryngwyn.carmarthen.sch.uk ----------------------------------------------------- Notes: 1. The contents of this email may be snooped on by interested government parties for unknown purposes! Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000. 2. The opinions expressed in this email are personal and may not be shared by Bryngwyn School. -----------------------------------------------------

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Some showstopping network issues..
by Bill Antonia 27 Jun '02

27 Jun '02

I may be trying to teach Granny to suck eggs here but you cannot flout the rules. Subnet masks must always be a series of 1's then 0's. You cannot mix and match. The mask is used to separate the host and network portions ie the last non-zero octet must always be one of 192, 224, 240, 248 or 252 (254 is allowed in Class A in the second or third octet or Class B in the third octet but not in either case the fourth octet). 128 is also not allowed to be the next octet from the standard netmask for each class in subnetting. All the following netmasks allow no hosts Class A netmasks 255.255.255.254 or 255.128.0.0.0 Class B netmasks 255.255.255.254 or 255.255.128.0 Class C netmasks 255.255.255.254 or 255.255.255.128 The netmask 255.255.255.255 is used to signify this host on this network. Class A networks 1.0.0.0 to 126.0.0.0, may have netmasks from 255.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.252 (Network 127.0.0.0 being special. Note it has 2 to the power 24 minus 2 hosts! What a waste.) Class B networks 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.0.0, may have netmasks 255.255.0.0 to 255.255.255.252 Class C networks 192.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.0, may have netmasks 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.255.252 (in the three Classes above, note the exclusion of the 128 subnet mask) You cannot use a range of netmasks on a LAN. You can use multiple netmasks if each netmask is used on its own LAN separated by a router or routers or switches using VLANs. On top of all this you cannot use the first and last host in any network or subnet as these are the wire and broadcast addresses. Private networks Class A 10.x.x.x, Class B 172.31.x.x or Class C 192.168.x.x NT does not care because it is probably using NetBIOS and WINS and not TCP/IP and DNS Pinging the network card in the host will always work, if the drivers are set up correctly and the card works, because the host knows its MAC address and does not require to do an ARP request. In your situation I believe the ARP requests are malfunctioning due to a bad netmask. Therefore no ping to hosts on the LAN with the malformed netmask. When bits are given back in a netmask rather than being borrowed to create subnets, it is called supernetting. Routers have to be specially configured to allow this to work. Cisco routers can use the bottom network in any range of subnets but they have to have this feature turned on (ie you can also use 128 in the next octet in the standard netmask for each class or 254 in the fourth octet but it is a waste of IP address ranges). Legacy routers will throw a wobbly if you use the first subnet in any range of subnets, routing would not work. This can be a bit of a minefield but our Cisco students do get it in the end. Regards Bill

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Gresham College CD archive
by Chris Puttick 27 Jun '02

27 Jun '02

Silly question possibly, but what is the Gresham College Archive and why would schools find it useful? -----Original Message----- From: Duncan Burbidge To: suse-linux-uk-schools(a)suse.com Sent: 6/27/02 12:49 PM Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Gresham College CD archive Dear List The Gresham College Archive, using Greenstone software, has now been made freely available. If you would like a copy, please send your details (name, postal address) to g.pavitt(a)gresham.ac.uk <mailto:g.pavitt@gresham.ac.uk> . For monitoring purposes, if you would also cc myself ( duncan(a)gresham.ac.uk <mailto:duncan@gresham.ac.uk> ) I'd be grateful. Details of the College follow. All the best Duncan ================ Supported by the Corporation of London and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, Gresham College has been providing free public lectures for over 400 years. Our new CD continues this tradition and contains the complete indexed transcripts to 295 lectures and publications from 1991. Included on the CD is the complete text to 'A Brief History of Gresham College 1597-1997' along with lectures by past and present Gresham Professors, politicians and social commentators. The CD runs on Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP To be sent a free copy of this publication, please email: g.pavitt(a)gresham.ac.uk <mailto:g.pavitt@gresham.ac.uk> or call +44 (0)20 7831 0575 For more information: http://www.gresham.ac.uk <http://www.gresham.ac.uk>

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Gresham College CD archive
by Simon Wood 27 Jun '02

27 Jun '02

Hello all, Where as I think that it is noble that Gresham College is making transcripts of their lectures available gratis. It is somewhat disappointing that the CD claims that it needs Windows (95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP) to run, given that this is a non-Windows forum. Hopefully this requirement is only for 'extras' and the actual transcripts are in a simple/open format so that future accessibility is guaranteed. Simon Wood

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Gresham College CD archive
by Duncan Burbidge 27 Jun '02

27 Jun '02

Dear List The Gresham College Archive, using Greenstone software, has now been made freely available. If you would like a copy, please send your details (name, postal address) to g.pavitt(a)gresham.ac.uk. For monitoring purposes, if you would also cc myself (duncan(a)gresham.ac.uk) I'd be grateful. Details of the College follow. All the best Duncan ================ Supported by the Corporation of London and the Worshipful Company of Mercers, Gresham College has been providing free public lectures for over 400 years. Our new CD continues this tradition and contains the complete indexed transcripts to 295 lectures and publications from 1991. Included on the CD is the complete text to 'A Brief History of Gresham College 1597-1997' along with lectures by past and present Gresham Professors, politicians and social commentators. The CD runs on Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000 or XP To be sent a free copy of this publication, please email: g.pavitt(a)gresham.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 7831 0575 For more information: http://www.gresham.ac.uk

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PAT testing ( A bit off topic but maybee you can help )
by s-clarob＠st-aidans.cumbria.sch.uk 26 Jun '02

26 Jun '02

I know this is very off topic, but were all computer tekies and electricity rules our world. So. I am trying to find out who does who's PAT electrical testing, Who test's your equipment? Is it in house ( By whom ) Contracted ( To whom ) Cost? Does your LEA offer a service? Does anyone know how to test systems with soft power buttons? Any recommendations on KIT? Ta Robin

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RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Some showstopping network issues..
by Grainge, Derek 26 Jun '02

26 Jun '02

> What's 10.0.40.1/22 netmask? How is this number (the 22) calculated? > Can you use this style to indicate subnet mask 255.255.0.0, > for example? 22 means 22 bits. Each of the 4 parts of the dotted quad number is a byte, 8 bits, and /22 means 22 1's and the rest zeros i.e. 22 1's = 8+8+6 1's = 11111111.11111111.11111100.00000000 which is 255.255.252.0 if you do your binary conversions. So 255.255.0.0 would be /16 and 255.255.255.0 would be /24 by the same notation. And this notation's a lot less brainfag. -- ******************************************************************************** All mail sent and received may be examined to prevent transmission of unacceptable material. Wellington College does not accept responsibility for email contents. Problems to postmaster(a)wellington-college.berks.sch.uk. Website: http://www.wellington-college.berks.sch.uk ********************************************************************************

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Re: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Some showstopping network issues..
by Steve Palmer 26 Jun '02

26 Jun '02

wow what a lot of information to read! thanks for all your help guys :) I am but an HND graduate with nearly a winter to summers worth of experience, with much much more to learn yet.. Now regarding that "subnet range" thing, they have it written down as "Subnet Mask 255.255.25**.0 **= Range from 2-5". I think its probably meant to interpreted as a choice of masks for the network i.e different schools have different network configurations, and make have 254 type of subnet on their internal network, and would probably use 252 on their external side of things. Either way, i'd like to add at this point that our provider probably isn't the best when it comes to technical knowledge - their support is lousy, communication is poor, and any contacts we do have in the organisation with some common sense are usually elsewhere trying to keep the ship together. Infact lately they setup a Netsweeper 2.0 trial which is supposed to be some really advanced content filtering, which does work to some degree, but when we have any trouble with it theres no support on it, neither is there any kind of channels to relay feedback on the testing... *sigh* at least they're free for this year! Anyway i'm going to go and digest what you all have written, and see what i can do with this new found knowledge ;) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com

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RE: network problem ongoing .....
by Bill Antonia 26 Jun '02

26 Jun '02

I would still avoid using 255.255.254.0 as a netmask for a class C network. The default network mask is 255.255.255.0 then you can subnet from there borrowing bits from the fourth octet. Supernetting does not work well. The alternative is to use the 172.31.0.0 network with netmask 255.255.0.0 instead of the Class C one you are using. This will allow 2 to the power 16 minus 2 hosts. -- Regards Bill Antonia Network Manager Beacon Community College North Beeches Road Crowborough East Sussex TN6 2AS Tel 01892 603000 Fax 01892 664562

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