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Remote boot switching
by Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk 23 Jul '05

23 Jul '05

Hi Folks, Suppose we have two machines, A and B, each dual-boot Linux/Windows. Suppose that Linux is the "default" OS on reboot -- i.e. if you switch the machine on and do nothing, Linux is what you get. Let's start with both in Linux. Now, sitting at A, I want B to reboot into Windows, but without going to B. One solution which has occurred to me is that, while at A, I can log in to B, su root, edit the LILO or GRUB config so that the boot order is reversed, and then tell B to reboot. So far so good. I can even make this into a script, so that when logged into B I can issue something like "boot Windows". But then, how to restore the original boot order without having to go to B, choose Linux from the boot menu, boot Linux, and re-edit the config file? I somehow doubt that you can do this while B is in Windows ... and I basically want the whole thing to be remote, from A. If there were some capability in the boot loader itself that could restore a default boot configuration prior to actually booting the OS which is currently "on top", this would make the whole thing scriptable. To be precise about this: 1. A & B running Linux. 2. At A, tell B to "boot Windows". 3. B reboots. 4. LILO/GRUB sees that Windows is "on top" and selects this as the OS to boot into. 5. LILO/GRUB *also* restores the original config file with Linux "on top". 6. LILO/GRUB then boots into Windows. The effect would be that the next re-boot would be into Linux. Any ideas or comments? With thanks, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding(a)nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 21-Jul-05 Time: 13:37:10 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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GZ files
by Peter Hunter 21 Jul '05

21 Jul '05

Hi, me again, I have been looking around the Linux.org site, and noticed that nearly all of there downloads are in the .gz format (I asume this is compressed a bit like .zip). Uncompressing proberbly won't be a problem, but how do I install the file/program from there? More to the point, where can I find instructions that will tell me what to do? (Bearing in mind of course that I am running Suse, which seems to be a bit different from other flavours of Linux). Regards, peter

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Completely Off Topic - But...
by Brett Parker 20 Jul '05

20 Jul '05

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Does anyone know of a pub with a bar billiards table in or around the Norwich area... for those unfamiliar with that game, the rules along with a picture of a fairly typical table can be found at the following URL: http://www.mastersgames.com/cat/pub/bar-billiards.htm I've just finished playing a few games, and have discovered that it's much more enjoyable than your average game of pool, which most pubs now cater for... But I'm currently in Suffolk and I played in the Edwardstone White Horse (which is a village pub not far from my dad's, and one that I'd highly recommend to people that want a quiet, pleasant drink in a village). Replies to me unless you think that they need to go to the list... Sorry for the cross post for those that are both on the ALUG and Debian-UK lists. Thanks, - -- Brett Parker web: http://www.sommitrealweird.co.uk/ email: iDunno(a)sommitrealweird.co.uk -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFC3X+dEh8oWxevnjQRAoIyAJ0dLE2r/Yt3mxN16kXpRJwJ/hrPlgCgqxTp PUr+ViKMFXNrSTbdcZX8cPI= =+m/f -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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RE: [ALUG] Remote Linux Support via VNC
by Keith Watson 18 Jul '05

18 Jul '05

> From: Jim Rippon Sent: 18 July 2005 16:28 > I would suggest that if you want to be able to show your > friend what you are doing (demonstrate how to fix the problem > they are having for > example) you might: > > apt-get install x11vnc > x11vnc sounds like just what I want, ta for the tip Jim. > You can find out your IP address from > http://www.whatismyip.com - very easy to get a user to go > here from their web browser when you are on the phone, > otherwise go for a Dynamic DNS service - something like > http://www.dyndns.org yes, good idea, ta once more :o) > I would suggest looking at running VNC over SSH as it is a > fairly insecure protocol straight up. There is a good amount > of info on this if you Google it. yes another good point, actually the x11vnc site talks about how to use ssh. I'll read up on it. > I admin 120 or so desktops and servers from here - although > most are Windoze machines (I SSH directly into my Linux > machines, and even XDMCP when I am on site) and I have had > plenty of success doing this over a dialup. You can set the > max colour depth and compression algorithms and I would > suggest that you look into this as at high colour depths and > no compression your session may be unusable. > > Hope this helps > great, just the sort of feedback I was hoping for, thanks Jim. Regards, Keith ____________ TWICE, adv. - Once too often. - Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary

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Remote Linux Support via VNC
by Keith Watson 18 Jul '05

18 Jul '05

I'm thinking of using VNC to provide remote support from my Linux box for a newbie friend who also runs Linux. As we are both ancient fogies we both use a dial-up internet connection (i.e. a slow connection at each end as opposed to a faster broadband on at one or both ends). As we both have Ubuntu [Debian] based systems, I right in supposing that all I need to do is run something like; apt-get install vncserver on my friend's PC, and something like; apt-get install vncviewer on my own PC to install the software (if not part of the base Ubuntu install)? The Unofficial Ubuntu Starter Guide gives some rudimentary info. which suggests it may be feasible but a couple of possible problems spring to mind:- We both have the FireStarter firewall running using the default rules. I presume I'll need to change these at the server end to allow the viewer to connect. Can anyone give me some pointers on how I go about this for a VNC connection (VNC uses port 5900 I think)? Also, as our dial-up connections use dynamic IP addressing is the lack of fixed IPs likely to be a problem? Any other gotchas anyone can think of? Has anyone ever tried this (i.e. Linux VNC - Linux VNC over dial-up) ? and, if so, did you get it to work? :o) Regards, Keith ____________ DEFAME, v.t. - To lie about another, also, to tell the truth about another. - Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary

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Weekly IRC reminder
by Brett Parker 18 Jul '05

18 Jul '05

This is the automated ALUG IRC meeting reminder sent to remind you that there is an IRC meeting tonight (Monday) at 8.00pm. The meeting takes place on the irc server irc.alug.org.uk in the #alug channel. Most IRC clients should allow you to get there with the commands "/server irc.alug.org.uk" and "/join #alug". Popular IRC clients include tkirc, bitchx, xchat and EPIC on Unix, and Mirc under windows. Here are some links to help you get started with irc. Unix http://www.xchat.org/ http://freshmeat.net/ http://www.epicsol.org/ Windows http://www.mirc.com (loads of help with irc for newbies!)

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IRC connection problem
by Jim Rippon 15 Jul '05

15 Jul '05

Hi everyone. Since I have a quiet afternoon ahead of me, can someone lend a hand getting my IRC connection to work - I have tried opening a connection to both irc.oftc.net and irc.alug.org.uk (both resolve to the same IP addresses so I guess alug is just an alias anyway) by typing: /server irc.oftc.net in Besirc 2.2.13 (sorry, stuck in windoze while I am at work, not through choice) but all I get is a Connection failed. message. Is there some way I can troubleshoot/test a connection into IRC from here - either from Windows or Linux (I can ssh and/or XDMCP into one of my test servers in the plant room from here using either PuTTY or Cygwin/X, but its not really something I can do permanently). TIA, Jim

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Re: [ukfsn.org #5928] Re: [ALUG] Where is UKFSN?
by Ted.Harding＠nessie.mcc.ac.uk 15 Jul '05

15 Jul '05

On 15-Jul-05 Jason Clifford wrote: > On Fri, 15 Jul 2005, MJ Ray via RT wrote: > >> Ted, I can see UKFSN, so I'll forward your message to support@ukfsn. >> I assume you can't, what with not being able to see their DNS entries. >> Hopefully they can reply to you/the list as appropriate. >> >> > It looks as though UKFSN had disappeared from the world: >> > >> > dig -a smtp.ukfsn.org -> No Answer >> > dig -a www.ukfsn.org -> No Answer >> > dig -mx ukfsn.org -> No Answer >> > traceroute www.ukfsn.org -> unknown host www.ukfsn.org > > I suspect the problem was with Ted's upstream network provider as UKFSN > is > certainly still here and we've not had any downtime this morning. > > The name servers haven't been changed at all and I would have noticed > any > network interruption as I've been doing lots of interactive work on the > servers this morning. > > Jason Thanks, MJ & Jason! In fact, following a considerable amount of forensic poking around, I think I have identified a possible source of the problem as BT's DNS going flaky. Since their DNS server is one of the entries in my /etc/resolv.conf this may be the explanation. However, other entries are DNS servers at mcc.ac.uk, and one of these should have worked! Nevertheless I substituted a different MCC DNS server (the on that responded to 'dig') as well. At the same time, a lot of FQDN addresses worked fine while the smtp.ukfsn.org server was "unkown" (e.g. browsing the web for guardian.co.uk of bbc.so.uk) while others did not! As of rather more than an hour ago, no further problems. A bit of a mystery still, therefore, and I apologise for not coming back to the list earlier to say it was resolved, to save people the trouble they have gone to. In mitigation I can only plead being busy dealing with a backlog of mail which had been halted while the problem was ongoing. Thanks again, and best wishes, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding(a)nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 Date: 15-Jul-05 Time: 13:45:29 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------

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[job] Help required for Linux Support company in Sussex to Handle Anglian Company requirements.
by nik butler 15 Jul '05

15 Jul '05

Ive been asked to help a Local Business, who have several locations in and around the Norwich Area, to resolve many of their IT issues. Ideally I need someone who has wider experience than the usual "Windows is the Only Way" point of view. Hence Im going to the Linux User Groups for Anglia and asking here. If your interested in doing some on site support work and are familiar with configuring IP, Routers, Firewalls and being available to do on site call work then I would appreciatte hearing from you. Its part time, on call , call out stuff that may require weekend support as well. The work , call orders and options will be managed by myself and you can expect to be contacted by me to be directed to the site. Im hoping to take on more than one candidate in the Area to ensure that I have suitable cover and support. Nicholas Butler Reduced Hackers Sussex Linux User Group.

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firefox doing well
by tom potts 15 Jul '05

15 Jul '05

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24643 ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - NEW crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com

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