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Orb Designs Grafitti December 03 thru December 09, 2001 Mon   Tues   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun Last Week  <--  *  -->   Next Week --> Most Recently: Sunday AM <-- Email Orb Grafitti is sometimes a conversation, sometimes a soapbox. I use Linux most often, and I write about that and related software frequently. I also have a day job working as a dogsbody for a small manufacturing firm here in the SF Bay Area. Tom Syroid and I have co-authored a Linux Book. We're posting it online, here and here. Have a looksee! I'm glad you've come to visit, and always happy to hear from you. EMAIL - I publish email sometimes. If you send me an email and you want privacy or anonymity, please say so, I'll pay attention to your wishes.

And now for something completely different... Wow. I was making all the changes necessary to roll over to a new week - five different pages get edited to start a Monday around here - and noticed something horrid. Last week I had showing from November 26 through December 1. Sunday was still labeled 11/25, and I'd dropped the second entirely off the map. Ah, well, all fixed up now.

Now I am trudging through the morning's email. Someone's having problems with a hosed partition table on a SCSI drive, and walking him through the diagnostic process is happening online. Interesting. The apparent tool of choice? Gpart. More when I know more. Now here's news from Greg...

Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 09:55:31 -0500 (EST)
From: Greg Lincoln <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Evolution 1.0

Evolution 1.0 is out, if you don't already know. Worth a mention in the
morning update, neh?

Greg Lincoln
Senior Editor - LinuxHardware.org
www.linuxhardware.org

Posted!

And I'd point you to the exactly pertinent page, but according to my sources, Evolution is hosted on the Ximian website, and I can't get to that now, as I write this. Oh. It's the number one story on Slashdot right now. That would explain it. Ah, well. I've got to fly, I'm past time now. Later.

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Good morning. Let's start with a few recent snapshots, so you see what we've been up to lately. Late last week, before the recent series of storms started rolling in, I took an hour or so and quickly spruced up the yard. That involved mowing in back, then using the trimmer to edge the lawn, and knock down sets of itinerant former lawn out front, sprouting up between rocks and wood chips where the owner decided that landscape fabric wasn't needed. Once all the cutting bits were done, it was time to use the blower to get up the leaves from the maple.

Here we have the Christmas tree that Marcia's put up. I'd take some credit, but basically I am such a Grinch, and Marcia is such a Christmas person. Really, the whole process is much more pleasant for her if I simply stay out of the way, and come out to lift down boxes or move heavy things on request only. She makes the house very pretty, and does a nice tree. At left, there it is in room light. At right, a slightly light-level enhanced version of an ambient shot with just the tree lights, and the camera stabilized with a longer shutter time.

Then there's the holiday dining table, all done up in holiday colors. Note that the candles, the placemats, the napkin rings - everything matches this ... this ... time of the year, sigh. Bah humbug, and that's the truth. Ah, well. If you like this stuff, and want to see lots more seasonal stuff, check out Marcia's Christmas page. You can see all the ornaments she's manufactured in her workshop, without the help of any elves at all, for instance. Bear in mind that she's not nearly done with that part of her site - you'll need to go back again a few times, as material accumulates there through the month.

From the mailbag...

The Linux Book
From: "Peter Smith"
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 12:27:22 +1000
 
Hi Brian,

I intend to get a bit serious about Linux, and so I have just 
downloaded BTLB for off-line study.

I clicked on the PayPal logo and started filling out the credit card bit,
only to find that they don't accept payments from overseas (Why? 
everyone else does).  They wanted me to open an account, so I 
went along with that. Then they wanted me to click that I had read 
the Terms of Use, so I printed them out - 23 pages!  Sorry, I am not 
getting into this, especially as there is a web site about problems 
with PayPal.

Is there any other way I can encourage you? (Short of "four digits 
to the left of the decimal point" that is )

Regards, and many thanks for the help,
Peter Smith

Hi, Peter - ? FIVE digits to the left??? Heh. Not to worry. Personally, I've had NO problems with paypal, both sending and receiving. But the charges involved in international checks make it such a pain that when the dust settles, I am substantially the loser. Mmmm. If you do the Paypal thing, lovely. If not, enjoy the work in good spirits and without guilt. Pass the word about our sites and our work, regardless - we love having new visitors. I am *so* glad that you've found the book, and have found it useful enough to consider downloading and ... encouraging us. We go through these dry spells where I'm not sure how interested people are, then Doc goes and links us again, or someone else with lots of linkage does. That's GREAT fun. Thanks for dropping in, and for reading. Take care, Brian

Isn't that lovely? I am really happy when someone finds that our writing is useful. Now, after lunch, I'll return to the topic of IPtables, and put up a set of rules that protects a few services on a standalone DMZ box. But now it's time for me to hit the road. TTFN

1335 - OK, so it's well past your lunch already - I haven't had mine yet, and not sure what I want - my tummy's a bit .. funny right now, and Marcia's home sick, too. Mmmm. Anyway, I promised some IPtables rules, so here they are:

#!/bin/sh

# Always use explicit paths in scripts
IPTABLES=/sbin/iptables

# Set up logging, limit to 1/second to prevent log DOS attacks
# This is a user defined chain.
$$IPTABLES -X logdrop
$IPTABLES -N logdrop
$IPTABLES -F logdrop
$IPTABLES -A logdrop -m limit --limit 1/s -j LOG --log-prefix \
    "fw reject:" --log-level alert
$IPTABLES -A logdrop -j DROP

## Flush any pre-existing rules
$IPTABLES -F INPUT

## Accept from internal interface
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i lo -j ACCEPT

## don't log broadcasts
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth1 -p tcp -d 255.255.255.255 -j DROP
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth1 -p udp -d 255.255.255.255 -j DROP

## Allow LIMITED ICMP
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -p icmp -m limit --limit 2/s -j ACCEPT

## Allow HTTP & HTTPS
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

## Allow SSH
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT

## Allow SMTP
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 25 -j ACCEPT

## Catch Established and Related packets, allow them
$IPTABLES -t filter -A INPUT -p udp -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -t filter -A INPUT -p tcp -m state --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED -j ACCEPT

## REJECT IDENT rather than DROPing
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp --dport 113 -j REJECT

# If packet doesn't match allowed stuff, then log and drop
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -m state --state NEW,INVALID -j logdrop

# If it manages to miss every other rule, then drop it by policy
$IPTABLES -P INPUT DROP

Any questions? Next, I've gotten in my VMware Workstation 3.0 for Linux. Let me reiterate what I've said before - If you need to work in both the Windows and Linux environments, then I've found VMware is much, MUCH better than dual-booting. And now that the 2.4 kernel allows virtual disks to be larger than 2G, I have no more limitations on what I can accomplish. Not to mention being able to suspend and resume. Yes, I'm raving about this stuff. Do I get it from VMware to help me write about Linux? Yes. Do I own a commercial license as well, to use VMware to run my gotta-have'm Windows applications (mostly CADD) without rebooting, at my day job? Yep. I've been using VMware steadily for better than 2 years now, and strongly recommend it. Worth every penny!

Now, I have a tryout for the 3.0 version of VMware - SuSE 7.3 Professional. So, back to the grind for me - see you back here soon.

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I'm getting a late start this morning (wow, what a surprise). Marcia and I are now both a bit under the weather, but only a bit, and likely to get better soon. Since I left you yesterday, I managed to install SuSE 7.3 in a VM. I've got all the screenshots, and I started the writeup. It's about halfway done, you can check out the work in progress here.

Well, there's lots going on in the world, from mopping up in Afghanistan to ramping up in Israel, and it would appear that we're another lucky winning generation - we get to live in interesting times. Well, I'm outta here, see you later.

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Good morning, and welcome to my exceedingly cranky day. The only good news is that I continue to be impressed with the package and tools put together by SuSE for their 7.3 Linux distribution. I worked with it for another while early yesterday evening to fill in a couple holes that appeared, as by magic, in the writeup I'm doing. Nope, no progress in that arena - I stopped computing quite early and rested - Marcia and I are both a tad under the weather, and the high social season of the year is beginning to grind into gear... bleah.

What I'm cranky about is the reportage that's going on around our action in Afghanistan [Note to Dubya: It's a war. Declare it.] We have all these liberal post-yuppie puss-for-brains types nodding their little leaky pinheads as they earnestly ask, "What went wrong???" The latest, of course, is this errant bomb of ours that killed three US soldiers and five Afghanis in a case of friendly fire. (And what's up with calling our men soldiers, and the Northern Alliance guys fighters? Are they less professional in their methods of killing their enemies, or what?) Is there no one that understands the concept of war at all, outside of the actual people fighting it? Shit happens, bad things. That's part of the price of military action. It's not amazing nor unusual, and it will happen again and again, as long as we are fighting someone or something. Period. Any questions?

I am also saddened by the ease with which our enemies manipulate our own media to their purposes. It appears at times to almost be collusive. I mean really, the Taliban announces that the evil heathen Americans dropped bombs, AND THEY KILLED PEOPLE WITH THEM. Yeah? That's the point, isn't it? Sure, some quote non-combatants unquote get killed along with the Taliban soldiers. The message here is, again, it's war, shit happens, and if you don't like the consequences of fighting the war, then be prepared to take the consequences of NOT fighting the war. How many more non-combatant Americans are you willing to spend in order to salve your bleeding heart about the plight of the Afghani. If they would kill terrorists instead of harboring them, well, there wouldn't be a problem, now would there?

The good news is that this country as a whole is much stronger-minded and stronger-willed than the press would have us believe. Lastly, I was not impressed with the Shrub we elected, but I am pleased with the Bush we've found we have in office. Just one thing, again, declare the war, George!

Now for the road. See ya!

1845 - Hola. Progress of a sort is in the making. First off, I left work about two, eyes crossed and feverish. I came home, closed my eyes, and came wide awake. Weird. I'm woozy, but restless. So I figured the best thing I could do was concentrate on something other than feeling icky. So I finished up the SuSE Linux 7.3 Professional Installation Report. Don't be surprised - there are 13 more screenshots there since last you looked. In a second install, I took a slightly different route through the installer, and explored a bit more - then melded the two into a relatively seamless whole - screenshots from the second pass filled in holes I'd left from the first installation. I hope you find it useful. I'll spend some time with the Linux system configuration tool that's native to SuSE, called YaST2, someday soon, and write that up. I like it, oddly.

Right now I'm pulling down Evolution 1.0 for a workout. I really have more need of it at work than here, but we'll see - I like NOT performing experiments on my work box. Instead, I'll move all my KMail folders over to Evolution, as time and concentration permits this evening. Hey, you know I haven't checked through my bookmark files for keepers recently - let's have a look:

• Tech Support nightmares - audio files. Heh.


• Spambouncer - I haven't played with this yet, but it looks interesting. Feedback welcome.


• Computer Stupidities - another collection of the wonders of being clueful in a cube-farm full of lusers.


• The Unix Administration Horror Story, v1.0. Note the utterly annoying double-dot in front of the html in that URL/filename. Oops.

Apparently that's it. I have a whole column of bookmarks, and those are the only keepers. Consigned to the bitbucket they are. And as am I - see you tomorrow!

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Good morning and happy Friday. As I noted in last night's post, I've finished the installation walkthrough for SuSE Linux 7.3 Pro. What comes next in that arena is a review of YaST2 and it's features. This is a systems administration tool that looks quite capable. Now, though, I'd like to share some short exchange email with you...

From: 	Jan Swijsen <[email protected]>
Subject: interesting times
Date: 	06 Dec 2001 12:47:31 +0100


...appear that we're another lucky winning generation - we get to 
live in interesting times.


Heu ..?
What's special?

Do you remember any time, in the last 15.000 years, that haven't 
been interesting?

fortunately, I've forgotten MOST of the last 15,000 years. That encounter with a Cave Bear is all but wiped from my memory, now was that before or after I invented fire ... ? .b

From: 	Jan Swijsen <[email protected]>
Subject: 	Re: interesting times
Date: 	07 Dec 2001 07:44:24 +0100	

I see you are confused. 

I killed the last cave bear at about that 15000 Y ago so something 
else must have attacked you. Well the last-but-one cave bear, the 
last one is Osama B.L. (he means cave beard.  ed.).

I am at a loss for words. Me! How wondrous and amazing this moment is. Let me savor it for just a while... OK. Thanks. Heh. I think it's possible that there's going to be a new netiquette to evolve. It is said that in any email or newgroup exchange where one correspondent or another invokes the Nazis or the name of Hitler, then the thread is ended. This is custom that'e entrenched into unwritten law, with some caveats. A third party cannot jump into the middle of the thread crying "NAZI! There, I said it, now this thread must die!" Nope, doesn't work (at least as expected). That usually earns the newbie a bit of derisive commentary, a link or two to the appropriate netiquette sites or perhaps the jargon file. In the meantime, often the original contestants catch a clue anyway and just wind down. Occasionally, however, an outside attempt to cool things down merely fans the flames, instead. Then things get... interesting.

Why did I just go there? I am suggesting that it's time to add Osama bin Laden to the list of thread-ending references. If this ever becomes a part of formal or informal list netiquette, remember, you read it here first.

I'm still feeling flu-like symptoms, though Marcia's feeling better. However, we're both off to work now. Oh, hey, before I go, two news bites. First, we're going to get a dog. Not sure what kind yet, but the owner of this rental house has blessed our quest. More when we know more. Second, I haven't heard anything on the book in a couple of days - negotiations are stalled, I think. We'll see what happens. Meantime there's lots to keep me busy, neh?

Take care, see you back here later.

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Well, 0900, more or less. Good morning. I'm starting this at a shade after 8, but there's lots of ground to cover, and distinct time limitations today. Yeah, thanks, I am feeling better-ish. A bit stiff and out-of-sorts, but I don't feel feverish, so perhaps that's behind me. Let me get my morning vitamins, then I'll talk about that dog...

OK. Sally is a 5 year old Cocker Spaniel whose owner is headed into a retirement community, and sadly, Sally isn't invited. We found Sally on the Furry Friends Rescue site, and she knocked Marcia's socks off. Of course, by now Sally may be long adopted out - there's no date on the page that promotes her. The good indication is the Christmas colors in the picture, possibly indicating that it's VERY recent. Marcia sure hopes so. Anyway, the organization is having an event today from noon to three. I've joked with Marcia that we'll get there, and Sally will be gone. We'll come home anyway, with a dog that has one leg, half it's fur, congenitally blind and prone to canine leprosy. "And we'd love it to pieces!" Yes, dear...

Now, we've already received LOTS of presents from Auntie Nina for the once and future dog. We didn't even know when we were going to be able to get a dog, and Nina was sending stuff for the dog home with Marcia. The image at right came to me from a chain of emails, with the epithet Only in California. I don't know about that, I can see an NYC Fifth Avenue matron walking her dog using one of those umbrella leash contraptions, can't you? But the confluence of a possible dog, and dog advertising made it hard to resist posting the combo. Yes, I'm easy!

Here's one from this morning's mailbag:

From: 	David Robertson
To: 	[email protected]
Subject: 	im crazy
Date: 	08 Dec 2001 04:05:05 -0800	

can you please help with the files and structure that i need to set up for a
debian install. im tired, I think i spent 10 hours on this. and that's why
im kinda curt. i dont have the energy to find a proper forum. why are these
ftp sites so cryptic. it should say: d/l this to go. this is optional. these
are parts of the original.  but NOOOOOOOOOOOO.

so, i have files
        root.bin
        rescue.bin
        base2_2.tgz
        drivers.tgz
        linux

then a directory:
images-1.44 (contents exactly like on ftp site...)

        /base-1 thru base-11, driver-1 thru driver-4, kernel-config,
rescue.bin,root.bin

        /idepci(dir)/driver-1.bin,kernel-config,Readme.txt,rescue.bin,root.bin

and then three more directories under images-1.44... compact, safe, udma66

cant i just put these together properly on a cd (lets say) and make it work?
(not necessarily .iso)

i just want the idepci install most likely, but something about the
structure of these folders and files is wrong.


thanks if you can help,

lego

Well. OK. First, if you're running a server, then by all means go with Potato (stable). For workstation use I'd recommend Woody (pre-freeze testing) or Sid (Unstable, which I actually use on my workstation here and at work). For Potato, ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/2.2.26-2001-06-14/images-1.44/idepci get root.bin, rescue.bin and driver-1.bin from that directory - those are the idepci install disks. Now, about base2_2.tgz. I *don't* know whether Potato installer will fetch that off the net or not. The testing installer does. What are you doing? Do you have an existing Linux installation that you're converting to Debian? A currently Windows only install? It would REALLY help if you described the starting conditions. Here. This will get you going with Testing/Woody. ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-i386/3.0.17-2001-11-18/images-1.44/idepci and get the same disk image names as above. Cut them to floppies using the following as superuser - dd if=root.bin of=/dev/fd0 bs=512 cmp /dev/fd0 root.bin you DO want to make sure that you've got a good copy. Much better than getting into an install, then finding your image is hosed. go through the debian install, select your drivers, startup the network, then when it asks where to get the base packages from, select network. If you've done everything right up that point, then the network card will come online, and the installer fetches the base packages from the internet (with just a little fairly obvious prompting). That MAY work for Stable/Potato as well. I just don't remember. I'm running testing on my server, and unstable on my workstation (as noted, I guess I need coffee). HTH. If not, please send a clear, consise description of your starting point (currently installed system, configuration, hw specs as appropriate), and your desired destination (server, workstation, firewall, ????) with debian.

I think I promised to try an installation of Solaris in VMware. I've since been told it can be done, but now I want to see for myself. So I'll give that a whack for the next hour or so, until it's time to get ready to go see if we can have Sally come home with us... Take care!

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Good morning. [Yes, that's the same picture, and not a link, this time] The news is that, while we weren't allowed to take Sally home yesterday, we are going to go get her this morning. On top of meeting us, and us meeting the dog, and lots of paperwork, the Furry Friends Rescue organization requires a home visit to ensure the house and yard are safe for the dog. More on the topic later, since Marcia isn't allowing me much time here - we've got to go!!! But, the home inspection went well, and Marcia just called the woman who's fostering Sally - she said, "Come on down." So we're ready to roll. See you later!

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Visit the rest of the DAYNOTES GANG, a collection of bright minds and sharp wits. Really, I don't know why they tolerate me <grin>. My personal inspiration for these pages is Dr. Jerry Pournelle. I am also indebted to Bob Thompson and Tom Syroid for their patience, guidance and feedback. Of course, I am sustained by and beholden to my lovely wife, Marcia. You can find her online too, at http://www.dutchgirl.net/. Thanks for dropping by.

All Content Copyright © 1999-2001 Brian P. Bilbrey.