November 2007 - main

sane-find-scanner finds my scanner, what next?
by Chris G 25 Nov '07

25 Nov '07

If I run sand-find-scanner it finds my scanner successfully but none of the front-ends can find a scanner, what am I missing? home$ sane-find-scanner -q found USB scanner (vendor=0x04b8 [EPSON], product=0x012c [EPSON Scanner]) at libusb:007:004 found USB scanner (vendor=0x093a, product=0x2603) at libusb:003:004 home$ home$ scanimage scanimage: no SANE devices found home$ Similarly xsane, xscanimage etc. can't find my scannner(s). -- Chris Green

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Re: [ALUG] BT Home Hub
by mbm 24 Nov '07

24 Nov '07

Please, please, anyone using a BT Home hub do yourself a big favour and stop right now. Go out and buy a decent router that BT don't control. I spent some long time earlier this year playing with the hub and everything that I found bothered me (and others with whom I corresponded). The is a crippled Thomson router which is locked to BT's network. They routinely update the software remotely without your agreement. You can lock it down to prevent this, but frankly why bother - just buy a decent router. I documented this at http://baldric.net/2007/01/22/bt-home-hub-and-the-gpl/. That post also points to comments from me (and many others with similar experiences - see Kai Robinson in particular) on a good site called homehubblog. See for example http://www.homehubblog.com/2006/12/23/christmas-present-from-bt/. Mick >Ill have a look when I get home, but Ive done exactly the same thing >as you and I can access my apache webserver ok. The only slight >difference is that I use dydns name instead of IP address but this is >the same. >Also I had no idea it was possible to access the BT home hub >management interface from the internet. That is rather worrying >considering how often it resets itself and port forwarding rules >disappear,

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Why is /etc/cron.daily happening twice
by Chris G 24 Nov '07

24 Nov '07

If I do a 'ps -ef' on my system I see the following:- root 17343 1 0 04:02 ? 00:00:00 crond root 17344 17343 0 04:02 ? 00:00:00 /bin/bash /usr/bin/run-parts /etc/cron.daily root 18023 17344 0 05:05 ? 00:00:00 /bin/bash /usr/bin/run-parts /etc/cron.daily Why does '/bin/bash /usr/bin/run-parts /etc/cron.daily' appear to be spawning a copy of itself just over an hour after it started? I have looked at the /usr/bin/run-parts script and I really can't see a reason why it should do this unless one of the scripts in /etc/cron.daily is doing something wierd and I have only added a very simple backup script there. Oh, this is on Fedora 7 by the way. -- Chris Green

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Re: [ALUG] Ubuntu questions
by Greg Thomas 22 Nov '07

22 Nov '07

On 19/11/2007, Ian Thompson-Bell <ianbell(a)ukfsn.org> wrote: > Greg Thomas wrote: > > > > o There's no obvious way to get out system information; Device Manager > > will tell me it's a PIII, but not the speed. > > Hardware info gives this as you might expect. It will tell me I've a PIII Coppermine CPU, but unless I'm missing something, there's no CPU speed. > > o There are two package managers (Update Manager and Synaptic Package > > Manager). The former, at least, tells me when there are updates > > available. I don't know yet if it will include extra packages > > installed by the latter (e.g. Apache WWW Server). > > Update manager will manage updates for everything installed by itself or > synaptic. Well, that's reassuring, at least. > > o Disappointed that something as basic as NTP isn't installed by > > default. Even (spit) Windows has had this since NT4. > > Yes, but Windows doesn't have a full blown set of Office apps etc etc > etc as standard. If you do by a Windows PC, it will often come with MS Works, which contains everything bar a presentation package. > > So, is Ubuntu not quite as ready for the mainstream as I thought, or > > have I missed something? > > Define mainstream. Ready for someone who has no interest in the OS other than as a productivity tool. Greg

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Ubuntu questions
by Greg Thomas 22 Nov '07

22 Nov '07

I've just installed an Ubuntu box on an old PC (could do with an extra 256MB, but hopefully that will be sorted later today; thanks, Matt :) ) It strikes me that, unless I'm missing something, it's not quite as user friendly as I was led to believe; o There's no obvious way to get out system information; Device Manager will tell me it's a PIII, but not the speed. System Monitor will at least tell me the installed RAM, but again not the CPU speed. o "Power management" is a bit of a grandiose name, given that all it will do is turn off the PC or the monitor. No disk spin-down times, fan speed controls, etc. o There are two package managers (Update Manager and Synaptic Package Manager). The former, at least, tells me when there are updates available. I don't know yet if it will include extra packages installed by the latter (e.g. Apache WWW Server). Why two in the first place? o Disappointed that something as basic as NTP isn't installed by default. Even (spit) Windows has had this since NT4. So, is Ubuntu not quite as ready for the mainstream as I thought, or have I missed something? Greg

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Re: [ALUG] main Digest, Vol 29, Issue 28
by mbm 22 Nov '07

22 Nov '07

Surge I don't know. I can tell which router is right for /me/ - I currently use a Thomson Speedtouch (780WL). I like the fact that it provides both a web based GUI (for speed and ease of routine config) and a decent CLI for more in depth configuration. Thomson have a good guide to the CLI on-line at http://www.thomson-broadband.co.uk/codepages/content3.asp?c=7&ProductID=528 The router runs a linux kernel and busybox and unlike the BTHH (which is based on the Thomson) it isn't crippled. I also like D-LINK kit for home use. But if you really want the full flexibility of a linux firewall, then I'd go for IPcop. You /will/ need a separate box, but it has a very small footprint and will run on some pretty ancient kit (try 486 with 86Meg of RAM). Alternatively, if you really want to get your hands dirty, go for openwrt (mentioned by Adam in a different post above). Mick >What I really do care about is the hardcore access to the device. I >want to be able to change things. I would like a real Linux system, >with a real shell and iptables that I could tinker with, and something >that expect would run on (tried expect on a telnet session to the >BTHomeHub and things didn't work well). I'd also like this to be in >one device, not having to use 2 power plugs for a modem and a separate >router. >So, which router would be right for me?

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Backup solutions for "not very linux" server destinations
by Chris G 21 Nov '07

21 Nov '07

I have just installed a 500Gb Network Server on my home network. It lives in the (very) detached garage so should be proof against even quite serious disasters to our house. However, although it runs a cut down Linux as its OS and thereby provides its services by Samba/CIFS it's not a very good or modern implementation and so it isn't easy to simply rsync files across to it. Using rsync (or the closely related rdiff-backup) results in lots of errors when the backup encounters symlinks, mixed case, etc. So I suspect I need a backup solution which packs up the files to be backed up into some sort of archive file and then just copies that file across to the server. Does anyone here use a backup solution of this sort and/or know any good ones? -- Chris Green

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Re: [ALUG] Ipswich ALUG Christmas Meal
by Elisabeth Fosbrooke-Brown 20 Nov '07

20 Nov '07

> The all you can eat buffet is £15.90 a head Sadly, too expensive for me :( I think we'll have to arrange a Skint Students' and Layabouts' meal in addition. -- sfr

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Re: [ALUG] Ubuntu questions
by Bev Nicolson 20 Nov '07

20 Nov '07

> ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Bev Nicolson" <bnicolson(a)operamail.com> > To: "Greg Thomas" <Greg(a)TheThomasHome.co.uk> > Subject: Re: [ALUG] Ubuntu questions > Sent this straight to Greg rather than the list. @'.'@ Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:23:17 +010 > > <<Ready for someone who has no interest in the OS other than as a > productivity tool.>> > > But with definition, Windows wouldn't be ready either as it still > needs the owner to read the manual. (Some would argue it isn't > ready now but anyway...!) > Next to the people on this list I know very little but I can make > Ubuntu work so that's good enough for me. > > Bev. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Greg Thomas" <Greg(a)TheThomasHome.co.uk> > > To: ALUG <main(a)lists.alug.org.uk> > > Subject: Re: [ALUG] Ubuntu questions > > Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:17:53 +0000 > > > > > > On 19/11/2007, Ian Thompson-Bell <ianbell(a)ukfsn.org> wrote: > > > Greg Thomas wrote: > > > > > > > > o There's no obvious way to get out system information; Device Manager > > > > will tell me it's a PIII, but not the speed. > > > > > > Hardware info gives this as you might expect. > > > > It will tell me I've a PIII Coppermine CPU, but unless I'm missing > > something, there's no CPU speed. > > > > > > o There are two package managers (Update Manager and Synaptic Package > > > > Manager). The former, at least, tells me when there are updates > > > > available. I don't know yet if it will include extra packages > > > > installed by the latter (e.g. Apache WWW Server). > > > > > > Update manager will manage updates for everything installed by itself or > > > synaptic. > > > > Well, that's reassuring, at least. > > > > > > o Disappointed that something as basic as NTP isn't installed by > > > > default. Even (spit) Windows has had this since NT4. > > > > > > Yes, but Windows doesn't have a full blown set of Office apps etc etc > > > etc as standard. > > > > If you do by a Windows PC, it will often come with MS Works, which > > contains everything bar a presentation package. > > > > > > So, is Ubuntu not quite as ready for the mainstream as I thought, or > > > > have I missed something? > > > > > > Define mainstream. > > > > Ready for someone who has no interest in the OS other than as a > > productivity tool. > > > > Greg > > > > _______________________________________________ > > main(a)lists.alug.org.uk > > http://www.alug.org.uk/ > > http://lists.alug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/main > > Unsubscribe? See message headers or the web site above! > > > > > > -- > _______________________________________________ > Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way: > Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com > > Powered by Outblaze > -- _______________________________________________ Surf the Web in a faster, safer and easier way: Download Opera 9 at http://www.opera.com Powered by Outblaze

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Secondary/Tertiary DNS to mirror hosted DNS (123-Reg)
by Mark Rogers 19 Nov '07

19 Nov '07

Anyone with 123-Reg hosted domains will probably be aware that their DNS died over the weekend. This ought not be possible, given the redundancy, but for about 24hrs nobody with domains hosted with 123-Reg (well nobody who uses their DNS anyway) will have had web/email. That includes me and several of my clients :-( Therefore I want to set up a DNS server on my own hosted server to act as (probably) a tertiary server (maybe secondary, not sure it matters for the sake of this question). In an ideal world I'd have a server which was fully (automatically) synced with 123-Reg's servers for all the domains I'm interested in. Given that I don't have any control over 123-Reg's servers I'm not sure how close I can get to that. I've also never set up DNS from scratch before (I've used various hosted DNS options which don't require me to think), but I think this would be a good time to learn more about DNS configuration. Not least because as a tertiary server it won't normally matter if I get it wrong :-) First question is pretty basic therefore: where do I start? -- Mark Rogers // More Solutions Ltd (Peterborough Office) // 0845 45 89 555 Registered in England (0456 0902) at 13 Clarke Rd, Milton Keynes, MK1 1LG

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