Subject: Linux-Activists Digest #258
From: Digestifier <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 93 16:13:12 EDT

Linux-Activists Digest #258, Volume #6           Fri, 24 Sep 93 16:13:12 EDT

Contents:
  help newbie with setting up "ps" command (Jeffrey Muday)
  Re: [Rev.] startx won't start x.. (Zack Evans)
  Re: Problem while starting X (Zack Evans)
  SLS 1.03 Problems (Bao Chau Ha)
  LINUX NEWBIE, NEED INFO (Steve Stasukewicz)
  $25.95 *NEW* Yggdrasil CD-ROM (Randy Just)
  WordProcessor (~=TEX) for Linux (Shannon Hendrix)
  Re: Setting up user accts. ([email-masked])
  Re: LINUX NEWBIE, NEED INFO (Byron A Jeff)
  Using/Starting Xwindows [help] (James F Hall)
  School Science Club may distribute Linux...interested? (Patrick K. Ferrick)
  Re: running X appl. by modem ? (Dhaliwal Bikram Singh)
  Re: WordProcessor (~=TEX) for Linux (Mark A. Davis)
  DEPCA ethernet card (Rudy Nunez (LAW))

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Jeffrey Muday)
Subject: help newbie with setting up "ps" command
Date: 24 Sep 1993 14:07:10 GMT

Linux users:

I just installed linux on my PC.  Many of the basics seem to work
fine: vi, sed, awk, who...  but when I attempt to monitor processes
with the ps command  I get the familiar message that I have to mount
/proc.  The system tells me to make sure /proc exists (and it does) and
to add the line "/proc /proc proc defaults" to /etc/fstab  (which I did
and then rebooted.  But... when I "ps" I get the same message.  Can
one of you solve this mystery for me.

Also.. what is the /bin/hostname file about.  On the bootup disk
I get one that has a bunch of non-ascii stuff and I get a hostname
of "softland"; my installed LINUX is missing this file.  Can I make one,
and how do I do it?

Lastly...  And this question demonstrates my lack of attention span for
reading documentation...  What terminal programs are available in the
basic set-up?  I would like to dialup my university account thru
LINUX (kermit or z-modem file transfer available) on my internal
"hayes compatible" modem.  

thanks in advance for any help (or flames...)
--jeff

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Zack Evans)
Subject: Re: [Rev.] startx won't start x..
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 93 15:30:46 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (James F Hall) writes:
>  This video adapter is a:        VGA WONDER V3
>  Amount of RAM on video adapter: 256k
>  WARNING: Driver may not work correctly with your board!
>
>ATI driver requires at least 512k video RAM!

This is the problem I think; you can't run the colour server with only 256k 
of video RAM... (well that's not quite true, but you certainly can't run it at
a useful resolution).

Does the mono driver work?

Zack
--
Zack Evans        [email-masked] or [email-masked]

UNIX was not designed to stop its users from doing stupid things,
as that would also stop them from doing clever things.

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Zack Evans)
Subject: Re: Problem while starting X
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 93 15:57:07 GMT

[keep seeing this - time for a post]

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Olaf von Wackerbarth) writes:
>Creating TCP-Socket: invalid argument
>
>The File /tmp/.X11-unix/X0= exists!!!
>
>Can anyone help about this Problem?

Yeah, delete it :)

It's probably left over from if the server crashed without you exiting it
cleanly.

Zack

--
Zack Evans        [email-masked] or [email-masked]

UNIX was not designed to stop its users from doing stupid things,
as that would also stop them from doing clever things.

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Bao Chau Ha)
Subject: SLS 1.03 Problems
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 15:36:29 GMT

I tried to install SLS 1.03.  It worked fine during the installation.
But when rebooting, it hang during the SCSI probe.  I had the AHA 1542B
and a Syquest drive, in addition to the ESDI.  This combination used to
worked well with SLS 1.02.

Appreciate any comments or pointers.

Thanks
Bao

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Steve Stasukewicz)
Subject: LINUX NEWBIE, NEED INFO
Date: 24 Sep 93 13:13:04 GMT

I'm new to this group and also to the LINUX operationg system.  Can someone 
give a brief descritpion of the LINUX OS.  Will it run MSDOS/WINDOWS  and/or 
MAC software?  If not, can I configure my MSDOS machine to have both DOS
and LINUX running.  What are some of it's strengths and weaknesses?  
Are there many applications (word processing, spreadsheet, utils, database
managers, etc) for LINUX.  Because of it's name, I imagine it's similar
to UNIX.  Is this correct?  Will most UNIX programs run on LINUX?  Is it
a developer's OS?  Does it support GUI?  If there is an FAQ that answers
some of these questions, please point me in the right direction.  Thanks.

Steve 
=========================================================================
MarlboroWinstonCamelMeritVantageKoolVirginiaSlims.....
( Cig. file currently under construction )

[email-masked]
...!uunet!ncrcom!ciss!wtcp!wtc34a!sstasuke

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Randy Just)
Subject: $25.95 *NEW* Yggdrasil CD-ROM
Date: 24 Sep 1993 09:31:33 -0700

Yes, the new version of the Yggdrasil LINUX CD-ROM is going to be here on
October 1, 1993.  This release promises to be the most comprehensive
plug-and-play operating system distribution ever.  Based on LINUX 0.99.13
kernel, GCC 2.4.5, Xfree86 1.3 (X11R5) X-Windows and hundreds of other
programs.  The CD-ROM will include 235MB of binaries and 445MB of source
code.
 
Also included will be a graphical "fill in the blanks" install
interface.  Almost all CD-ROM interfaces are now supported including SCSI,
Mitsumi, Sony 535, Sony CDU-31A and the Soundblaster compatible drives
such as the new double controller.
 
As a special promotional offer, between now and October 1, I am offering
the release for $25.95 ea.  Between October 1 and November 1, the release
will be $27.95.  After October 31, the price will be $39.95.  Shipping charges
for U.S. customers will be $4.
 
707-769-1648                    Just Computers!
707-765-2447 FAX                P.O. Box 751414
707-765-1431 BBS                Petaluma, CA 94975-1414
[email-masked] OR [email-masked]
 
Visa and Mastercard accepted as well.  International orders welcomed!!!

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Shannon Hendrix)
Subject: WordProcessor (~=TEX) for Linux
Date: 24 Sep 1993 12:43:56 -0400
Reply-To: [email-masked] (Shannon Hendrix)

   [email-masked] (Ole Sandum) writes:

   >[email-masked] (Jesper Honig Spring) writes:

   >Be careful. Terming WP as a wordprocessor might
   >just start a holywar   :-)

   I'm sure you just HAD to tell us that.  Try to keep your unproductive and
   flame-bait opinions to yourself.  I think we are all growing very tired
   of these same arguments over, and over.
   -- 

Oh Mark... you just kill me... poor guy... you really DO think WP is
a word processor... :-)  

Long time no see... have not been able to make it to TWUUG... still
there eh?  Bill Roberts doesn't respond to any mail now... must be
busy...

L8r..

csh / [email-masked] / Christopher Newport University

------------------------------

From: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: Setting up user accts.
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 14:59:01 GMT

Lars Wirzenius ([email-masked]) wrote:
: [email-masked] (Thomas J Bilan) writes:
: > Which works fine for me but when the users log in they don't have write
: > permission to their own directory.

: Are you sure it is their home directory that is the problem?  What
: exactly is the error message, and what exactly was it they were trying
: to do?

: One possibility would be that somehow / or /home (assuming their
: homedirectory was /home/name) did not have execute permission for
: other or group.  Do

:       ls -ld / /home /home/name

: to see exactly what the permissions are.

: > chmod 777 name

: This should certainly allow the owner and anyone else to have write
: permission to the directory.

   I'll bet the problem is that while the directories have u+rwx
permissions, they're not actually *owned* by the users in question.

   Do a 'ls -al' in the /home directory and see who the owners are.
If they're not correct, then use:

   chown user directory

and
   chgrp group directory

and you should be OK.

- Rich
-- 
Rich Mulvey                 Amateur Radio: N2VDS              Rochester, NY
[email-masked]         "Ignorance should be painful."

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Byron A Jeff)
Subject: Re: LINUX NEWBIE, NEED INFO
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 18:20:45 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Steve Stasukewicz <[email-masked]> wrote:

You can find all types of FAQ like files on sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/Linux/docs.
I'm glad to briefly answer your questions but you'll find much more info
than I can ever put into a single message at sunsite.

>I'm new to this group and also to the LINUX operationg system. 
> Can someone give a brief descritpion of the LINUX OS.

Free UNIX clone for 386/486 class machines. Source code available. POSIX
complient.

>  Will it run MSDOS/WINDOWS  and/or MAC software? 
DOS - Has an emulator (DOSEMU) runs most non protected mode programs. Not
      read good for games.
WINDOWS - WINE is the Linux Windows Binary Executive project. Very young
          with no Alpha release yet
MAC - Not that I know of.

> If not, can I configure my MSDOS machine to have both DOS and LINUX running.

Yes. Not at the same time of course. There are several boot loaders that
will allow you to choose which OS to boot.

>  What are some of it's strengths and weaknesses?  
Strengths - many
Free. Source available. Uses many of the common hardware devices on PC and
a few of the not so common. XWindows. Very stable. Has TCP/IP networking and
the shared filesystems (NFS) and printing that comes along with it. Can
mount and manipulate MSDOS files systems.

Weaknesses - few
Still late Beta so changes fast. Cannot yet run Windows binaries or COFF
files from SCO. Any others folks? Lacks a real WYSIWYG word processor but
the DOS emulator can run WordPerfect.

>Are there many applications (word processing, spreadsheet, utils, database
>managers, etc) for LINUX. 

Not really (check out doc31),yes,yes,yes,yes.

> Because of it's name, I imagine it's similar to UNIX.  Is this correct?
No. It is Unix.

>  Will most UNIX programs run on LINUX? 

Source compatible with most SYSV and BSD programs. Most things compile
with minimal modifications.

> Is it a developer's OS?
Is UNIX a developers OS? GCC, GCC+ and OBJGCC are all available. There are
Fortran and Pascal translators. It has all the typical Unix utils like
editors, perl, and whotnot.

> Does it support GUI?  
Xwindows 11R5. Also MGR from Bell labs is supported.

>If there is an FAQ that answers some of these questions, please point me in 
>the right direction.  Thanks.
Check the top of the posting.

BAJ
---
Another random extraction from the mental bit stream of...
Byron A. Jeff - PhD student operating in parallel!
Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332   Internet: [email-masked]

------------------------------

Subject: Using/Starting Xwindows [help]
From: [email-masked] (James F Hall)
Date: 24 Sep 93 13:12:38 -0600

I have posted before on my problem with Xwindow, and I got a lot of
good advice pointing out that my vga card just doesn't have enough ram
to support X in color mode.  (Thanks for the help!)  I'm still happy
with X in mono, but I can't get it work.  I guess I need further help.
:-)

When I startx, I get into X, but it's all a series of vertical lines.
No shapes resolved.  I guess I can run my mouse, though, because the
lines change brightness when I move it.  Can't get out of it without
physically resetting the computer (oh no!).

Basically, I just need to get X running so I can actually see what's
there.  ;-}

Other Info: 386DX machine, with 1.03 SLS disks, installed full base +
X, 80Mb hard drive is 70M filled (10M free), 8Mb physical ram, no swap
set up by me the user.  Card is identified as VGA WONDER V3, with 256k
ram (I won't dispute this as it is -very- old.)

I keep notes on all I do to my system (for the benefit of others), so
here is my xchanges.txt file:

=================================< xchanges.txt >====================

Important changes made to my system for X:
==========================================

Updated 9-24-1993

1. I created a file .xinitrc in the home directory to run X.  Followed
the man page on startx to see what should go in it.  One line in file.
I am specifying the twm manager (I use twm at school):

    /usr/X386/bin/twm

2. Following advice, made a soft link between files so I could run X
as a mono program (X's fatal error says card does not have enough vga
ram on it.)  Command:

    #  ln -sf /usr/X386/bin/XF_Mono /usr/X386/bin/X

3. X gives a fatal error that I'm not specifying a server.  Added
xserverrc (with a single line) to the home directory:

    XF86_Mono

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Patrick K. Ferrick)
Subject:  School Science Club may distribute Linux...interested?
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 18:54:06 GMT

I'm posting this as a sort of a "test balloon"...!

Our high school science club may distribute Linux on floppies as a means of
raising money for projects.  What we're thinking of is that instead of buying
the floppies from us, people might be interested in renting the disks (in
order to make copies of them) at a low rate.  Something like this:

You send them $40, and they mail you the base distribution of the most recent
Slackware package.  You copy the disks, and mail them back in a prepaid box
of some sort, within say two weeks, and they refund $20.  Ie. you get Linux
for $20.  Other parts of the dist would also be made available, as might be
other packages if the response is good.

If you'd like to get Linux cheap, and help out a relatively worthy cause,
could you please drop me some email?  (I'm the advisor to the science club,
in case that isn't obvious!)

thanks,
pat ferrick
Town of Webb School
Old Forge, NY

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Dhaliwal Bikram Singh)
Subject: Re: running X appl. by modem ?
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 18:49:00 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Pablo Redard) writes:
>Hi everyone,
>
>I'm wondering if I can log into my account at the university 
>from home (through modem) and run an X application?
>I have linux and I'm running openwin.
>
>thanks.
>
>
>
>

The following is a artical on news by [email-masked] :

There are numerous ways of dialing out from any Unix box, including Linux.
I use kermit(1) to make the initial connection.  It has good vt100
emulation, and is a basic command-line communications program.  There
are others that are more "graphical" under X, like seyon, but I've never
used it.

After I make the connection with kermit, I always exit kermit and start
term(1), which allows me to have multiple virtual connections over the
modem, and to run X programs remotely.  For example, I can run xmaple
or matlab remotely, over my modem.  There is also reportedly a version
of oot running under Linux.  Ask Prof. Holt for more info.

If you installed kermit and term on your Linux box, then this is how you'd
do what I just explained.

linux$ kermit
kermit> set line /dev/cua0 # or whatever you terminal line is
kermit> set speed 2400     # or your speed...
kermit> connect
at
OK
atdt9787239    # wait...

CONNECT

PACX....
SERVICE?  cdf

eddie.cdf login: g9wayne
Password:

[login message...]

g9wayne@eddie> term -s2400

[now get back to kermit command mode, or exit kermit]

kermit> !term -s2400 </dev/cua0 >/dev/cua0 &
kermit> quit
linux$ trsh    # start a remote shell
g9wayne@eddie> txconn      # start up remote X server.

Then you can go to another Linux screen, or linux xterm, and type another
"trsh", and you'll have two shells running on eddie.

Get, install, and read the docs for kermit & term for more info.

[For those of you not running Linux at home, other people will have to help
you, I can't.]

--
God I hate this damn machine, I wish that they would sell it.
It never does quite what I want, but only what I tell it.  -- unknown

Wayne Hayes     INTERNET: [email-masked]        CompuServe: 72401,3525

Wayne is a guy here in the CS department.  Please contact him, not me.

-- 
========================
[email-masked]
Bikram Dhaliwal
(416) 845-4567

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Mark A. Davis)
Subject: Re: WordProcessor (~=TEX) for Linux
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 18:40:52 GMT

[email-masked] (Shannon Hendrix) writes:

>   [email-masked] (Ole Sandum) writes:

>   >[email-masked] (Jesper Honig Spring) writes:

>   >Be careful. Terming WP as a wordprocessor might
>   >just start a holywar   :-)

>   I'm sure you just HAD to tell us that.  Try to keep your unproductive and
>   flame-bait opinions to yourself.  I think we are all growing very tired
>   of these same arguments over, and over.
>   -- 

>Oh Mark... you just kill me... poor guy... you really DO think WP is
>a word processor... :-)  

Oh how demented we are here :-) :-) :-)
Call me a defender of what we like, choose to use, and meets our needs
nicely.  Tex, as seen by the original poster (and by many), really IS a
text formatter, not wordprocessor.  He didn't mean the posting to sound like
a slam.  I'm still waiting for COFF in Linux so I get buy WP for home......
(plus other stuff)

>Long time no see... have not been able to make it to TWUUG... still
>there eh?  Bill Roberts doesn't respond to any mail now... must be
>busy...

Sorry we haven't seen you lately.  The meetings were moved to first Tuesday
at 7:30 (just incase).
-- 
  /--------------------------------------------------------------------------\
  | Mark A. Davis    | Lake Taylor Hospital | Norfolk, VA (804)-461-5001x431 |
  | Sys.Administrator|  Computer Services   | [email-masked]   .uucp |
  \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/

------------------------------

From: [email-masked] (Rudy Nunez (LAW))
Subject: DEPCA ethernet card
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 18:51:02 GMT

        Hello all, 

        I was just at work and found some old DEC Depca Ethernet cards. 
        Considering these are older 8 bit ethernet cards, and all we 
        use at work is the newer 3com cards, I asked the ole boss, "
        eh, we using these....".......Needless to say, I go two Depca
        ethernet cards free (and could probably get 10 more if I wanted 
        them..)

        Question is, I have not even attempted to setup TCP/IP with these
        guys, and I figured before I even try, I would ask if anyone 
        knows of any problems that I might encounter. Or will I still 
        have to shell out $160 bucks for 3com cards. 

                                Hopefully the reponse I get will be
                                , "they work great!"... Thanks all.

------------------------------

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The current version of Linux is 0.99pl9 released on April 23, 1993

End of Linux-Activists Digest
******************************