Subject: Linux-Misc Digest #829
From: Digestifier <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 94 16:13:39 EDT

Linux-Misc Digest #829, Volume #2                Mon, 26 Sep 94 16:13:39 EDT

Contents:
  Changes in: PC HARDWARE VENDOR REVIEW: SW Technology (a.k.a. SW Trading Company) (Jonathan I. Kamens)
  Re: AHA1542 Problems (Stephan Duhl)
  Re: Scanning with Linux? (Byron A Jeff)
  Re: Don't use Linux or it's to academic! (Lutz Behnke HiWi)
  Re: Don't use Linux; it's too academic! (Matt Welsh)
  Re: [Q] Linux DOOM under xdm... (H. Peter Anvin)
  Re: Contrib. $s for Linux Dev (Steven Buytaert)
  Re: Contrib. $s for Linux Dev (Steven Buytaert)
  running linux from cdrom (Ludo Daemen)
  ISDN and Linux (Ralph Sims)
  Need MOTIF Library Clone (C.W. Southern)
  Re: Motherboard recommendations? (Ogden, Aaron A)
  Re: Q: Reading from a ext2fs partition from DOS? (Bengt-Erik Norum)
  Linux software for voice/fax/data (The Mighty Thor)
  Re: 486 Math Not Detected on 486SLC (NAME "Cleetus Overbey Johnson")
  Re: Linux/FreeBSD ISDN support (Bill Wiest)
  Orchid Kelvin 64 Xfree86 Driver Availability ??? (nilsen)

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

From: [email-masked] (Jonathan I. Kamens)
Crossposted-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.systems,misc.forsale.computers.pc-clone
Subject: Changes in: PC HARDWARE VENDOR REVIEW: SW Technology (a.k.a. SW Trading Company)
Date: 26 Sep 1994 12:39:19 -0400

Archive-name: pc-hardware-faq/vendor-reviews/swt-diff
Posting-Frequency: quarterly

This article shows changes from the last posted version of "PC
HARDWARE VENDOR REVIEW: SW Technology (a.k.a. SW Trading Company)".
The current version of that article has the Message ID
<pc-hardware-faq/vendor-reviews/[email-masked]>.

Lines that were deleted are prefixed by '-'; lines that were added are
prefixed by '+'.

--- swt-review  1994/07/27 21:08:44     1.9
+++ swt-review  1994/09/26 16:22:20
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 Archive-name: pc-hardware-faq/vendor-reviews/swt
 Posting-Frequency: quarterly
-Version: $Id: swt-review,v 1.9 1994/07/27 21:08:44 jik Exp $
+Version: $Id: swt-review,v 1.12 1994/09/26 16:22:19 jik Exp $

                             INTRODUCTION
@@ -302,22 +302,102 @@
 with a fully working machine.

-                             IN CLOSING
+                 RESPONSE FROM SWT TO MY COMPLAINTS
+
+I E-mailed to SWT a preliminary revision of this review on July 17,
+1994 and offered them a chance to respond to the claims made in it.
+They never responded.
+
+Others who were interested in purchasing hardware from SWT and who
+have seen this review asked SWT to respond to the complaints raised in
+it.  One such response from Marvin Wu, which was forwarded to me by
+its recipient, contained what I consider to be lies.  Here's what he
+wrote, with my comments interspersed in it:
+
+>       We have two unsatisfied customers so far, Jonathan Kamens being
+>       one. He had the machine for three months, without paying anything
+>       except part of the shipping.
+
+That's sort of true, with the exceptions that (a) "part of the
+shipping" came to over $100, (b) he mentioned nothing about the
+bounced refund check, (c) he mentioned nothing about the $4
+check-bouncing charge which SWT never paid me back for (they never
+even acknowledged my mail about it), and (d) the system didn't work
+properly, and I spent much time trying to get it to work properly, for
+the entire time I had it.
+
+>       The probelm of the machine was
+>       mostly due to the Seagate scsi driver, as we've sold many
+>       identical systems with other SCSI adaptors doesn't have any
+>       problem at all. This is solved now by the NCR53C810 driver.
+
+I think that's a lie.
+
+Many people are using the Seagate SCSI driver.  I simply don't believe
+that it caused significant problems with my system.  None of the
+problems I experienced seem to me to be directly or indirectly
+attributable to problems with a SCSI driver.
+
+If the problem with my machine was "mostly due to the Seagate scsi
+driver," then why did SWT send me replacements for the CPU cooling fan
+and power supply on my system, and why did most of the problems I was
+experiencing go away after making those replacements?
+
+During the entire time I was working with SWT to get the machine
+working, Mr. Wu never said a word to me about the Seagate SCSI driver
+causing most of my problems.  Once, shortly after the machine arrived,
+he mentioned in passing that the Seagate card might be causing
+problems, but he never mentioned it again, and nothing that happened
+subsequently supported that possibility.  He also didn't mention
+anything about the Seagate driver when I sent him my review of SWT and
+asked him for comments before posting it.
+
+Why did he never say anything about the Seagate SCSI card being a
+problem before I returned the machine?  And if they discovered *after*
+I returned the machine that it's what was causing the problem, why
+didn't they tell me so and offer to send back the machine with another
+controller?
+
+Incidentally, I didn't ask for the Seagate SCSI controller; they
+offered it to me; that particular controller was their choice, not
+mine.  Presumably, if they were going to pick a controller to sell me
+without any preference on my part, they would have picked one that
+they sell regularly.  And if that's the case, then how come none of
+their other systems with that controller had any trouble?
+
+
+            BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU COMPLAINT AGAINST SWT
+
+On July 25, 1994, I filed a complaint about SWT with the Better
+Business Bureau for the greater Dallas area, asking for reimbursement
+for all my shipping costs, reimbursement for my bank's bad-check
+charge, and an admission of fault from SWT.
+
+The BBB forwarded my complaint to SWT on July 29, 1994 and asked for a
+response.  As of August 22, they had received no response, so they
+sent a followup letter with another copy of the complaint.  They again
+received no response, so on September 8, they closed the complaint
+without resolution.
+
+As of September 26, their automated complaint information system had
+no information about the company.  I spoke to a representative and
+asked why, and she said that they don't actually tell anyone that
+there are complaints against a company until "enough" people complain.
+I asked what "enough" means, and she said that it varies.
+
+Therefore, if you've had trouble with SWT, and they did not resolve
+your complaint to your satisfaction, I encourage you to file a
+complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  You can get a complaint
+form by calling 214-220-2000 or by writing to Better Business Bureau
+of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc., 2001 Bryan Street, Suite 850, Dallas, TX
+75201.
 
-I have E-mailed to SWT a preliminary revision of this review and
-offered them a chance to respond to the claims made in it.  I will
-include any response from them in a later revision.  Although it has
-been more than a week since I sent them the review, I have received no
-acknowledgement or comments.
+
+                             IN CLOSING
 
 I intend to post this review regularly in relevant newsgroups until
 someone gives me reason to believe that SWT has either improved
-considerably or gone out of business.  Furthermore, I have filed a
-complaint about SWT with the Better Business Bureau for the greater
-Dallas area, asking for reimbursement for all my shipping costs,
-reimbursement for my bank's bad-check charge, and an admission of
-fault from SWT.  The BBB claims that they will respond within five
-weeks, so I expect to hear from them by August 29.
+considerably or gone out of business.
 
 I have retained all E-mail correspondence between SWT and me.  If
 you'd like to know more about my encounter with them, I'd be glad to

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

From: [email-masked] (Stephan Duhl)
Subject: Re: AHA1542 Problems
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 13:00:24 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (joerg) writes:
|> Stephan Duhl ([email-masked]) wrote:
|> >-- 
|> >i have a adaptec 1542 CF at adress 0x330. Now i have get a soundcard
|> >(spea media fx), which want that adress too. Any attempt to change the
|> >adress of aha 1542 to 0x2XX or 0x1XX doesn't work. DOS runs as normal, but
|> >linux doesn't boot any more!
|> 
|> Read your kernel before switching any jumpers! In linux/drivers/scsi/aha1542.c
|> there is a note that only 0x330 and 0x334 are tested (kernel 1.1.33). So try
|> 0x334. If this is not possible due to another card sitting there, you have
|> to change aha1242.c and make a new kernel.
|> 
|> good luck
|>      Joerg
-- 

hi all,

I have testet the other adresses ... it works fine!
The Problem is the soundcard. This BS-card catch ever adress between 0x330
and 0x339, this means ever 0x33x. (too simple control-logic ;-0 )
So , if i'm using 0x334 for my adaptec, the soundcard and my adaptec fight 
each other, and i'm the looser ;-(

thanx all for the hints.
so long Stephan.
=======================================================================
Stephan Duhl                           email: [email-masked]
                                           University of Kaiserslautern

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

From: [email-masked] (Byron A Jeff)
Subject: Re: Scanning with Linux?
Date: 26 Sep 1994 15:20:13 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>,
Russell Nelson <[email-masked]> wrote:
>In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Byron A Jeff) writes:
>
>   1.1 The misconception of TWAIN compliancy
>   -----------------------------------------
>
>Okay, so why can't we design a similar interface, so that
>manufacturers can port their TWAIN driver?

Because in my personal opinion manufacturers aren't the least bit interested
in writing scanner drivers for Linux. I've talked to representatives for
both HP (at Comdex) and Canon (over the phone). I had the hardest time
getting them to understand that I wasn't running DOS/Windows. Once I succeeded
in doing that the HP folks tried to get me to buy one of developers kits
(which allows one to write custom DOS/Windows applications using HP's current
TWAIN driver) while the Canon person said he needed to talk to his "exclusive"
developer (oh about 6 months ago - haven't heard from him since.). So I'm 
admittedly discouraged. The manufacturers seem to think that anything other 
than Windows is a waste of time.

In all honesty all we really need is the interface specifications for the
interface card and the scanner. But getting the representatives I've talked
with to understand the concept is like pulling teeth. Then when the light
finally clicks on the standard response is "I have no idea how to get that
information.". Maybe I'm just asking the wrong folks the wrong questions.

My plan (which is stated in the Info-Sheet) is to check out EPSON because
as far as I know they are the only flatbed scanner manufacturer that actually
releases the hardware/interface specs for their interface boards.

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

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

From: [email-masked] (Lutz Behnke HiWi)
Subject: Re: Don't use Linux or it's to academic!
Date: 26 Sep 1994 17:01:24 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Josef Dalcolmo) writes:
|> >: Now, I would never (or at least not for some years) recommend Linux to
|> >: my customers as an alternative to MS-DOS or OS/2, especially not when
|> 
|> 
|> Just my 2 cents worth:
|> 
|> 1. I love Linux. I hate DOS. I'm ambivalent about MS Windows.
|> 2. I spent most of my spare time all summer to set Linux it up.
|> 3. I spent much less time to set up DOS and Windows.
Did you include the WHOLE time for installing the numerous tools that you would
need to have an equivalent system, all the apps that are basic in Linux.
Besides: I don't know what you guys are 'installing' so much.
It took me one afternoon to install almost all of slackware, one german
LaTeX addon, an extra GUI-Lib and some further stuff, like my old WinWord 2.0 
Texts. I even have a diamond card (And had to find out that this and 
only this one is suported)
I wouldn't consider this a summer worth of free time.

mfg. Lutz

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

From: [email-masked] (Matt Welsh)
Subject: Re: Don't use Linux; it's too academic!
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 15:17:51 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>[email-masked] (Matt Welsh) writes:
>>>2. There are no programs available that does Word-processing, spreadsheets,
>>>   databases, presentation graphics and so on, as we have under MS-DOS
>>>   and Windows.
>>
>>False.
>
>Matt, don't be baited.  The poster is clearly clueless.  

Mea culpa.

>It is true that Unix
>software tends to be hard to support, hard to find, and more expensive than
>Windows or DOS-based counterparts.  But this isn't the decisive factor for a
>lot of folks.

I didn't say anything about this. My objection was the flat-out
observation that no such software even _exists_ for Linux, which
is obviously false.

M. Welsh

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

Crossposted-To: alt.games.doom,comp.os.linux.help
From: [email-masked] (H. Peter Anvin)
Subject: Re: [Q] Linux DOOM under xdm...
Reply-To: [email-masked] (H. Peter Anvin)
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:49:24 GMT

Followup to:  <[email-masked]>
By author:    [email-masked] (George Shin)
In newsgroup: comp.os.linux.misc
>
> Has anyone got the Linux DOOM to work under xdm management? I can get DOOM
> run just PERFECT under X when started with "startx" but if the X starts
> with xdm and when i try to start DOOM, two things differ:
> 
> 1. DOOM cannot start sound driver (it's in path)
> 2. once started, obviously i get no sound and playable however the
>    background windows all get blacked out whereas under normal
>    "startx" startup X, background windows would sort of get darkened
>    but still readable...
> 
> Any clues???  I'll have to do some debugging...
> 

#1: DOOM! doesn't use the PATH while looking for the sound driver.
Get my script from eecs.nwu.edu in /pub/linux/doom/doom.tgz to fix it.

#2: It has to do with the color map.  Nothing to do about.

        /hpa

-- 
INTERNET: [email-masked]             --- Allah'u'abha ---
IBM MAIL: I0050052 at IBMMAIL     HAM RADIO:   N9ITP or SM4TKN
FIDONET:  1:115/511 or 1:115/512  STORMNET:    181:294/1 or 181:294/101
Help!  I'm stuck on this planet!

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

From: [email-masked] (Steven Buytaert)
Subject: Re: Contrib. $s for Linux Dev
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 15:27:25 GMT

J.J. Paijmans ([email-masked]) wrote:
: As for the Great Linus himself: we have to decide yet what to do and how,
: but I think dutch or belgian beer will be involved somewhere.

 Go for the Belgian beer. I can give you a few tips there. But beware,
 3 pints of 'Duvel' and the next kernel release will take 3 days extra :-)

 Stef

--
Steven Buytaert 

WORK [email-masked]
HOME [email-masked]

        'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'
                        (A. Einstein)

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

From: [email-masked] (Steven Buytaert)
Subject: Re: Contrib. $s for Linux Dev
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 15:29:41 GMT

Russell Nelson ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Buy printed manuals from the Free Software Foundation.  I don't
: remember their address, etc, but you can ask [email-masked] for
: more information.

  As a side question, when does that mailbox get emptied ? I tried 3
  weeks ago to get info from them about whom I should fax my credit card
  number for a donation. I still haven't recieved any acknowledgement...

--
Steven Buytaert 

WORK [email-masked]
HOME [email-masked]

        'Imagination is more important than knowledge.'
                        (A. Einstein)

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

From: [email-masked] (Ludo Daemen)
Subject: running linux from cdrom
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:24:07 GMT

I'm new to the unix/linux world. I would like to give linux a try on my 
machine. Only : I don't have 80 meg readily available on my drive to do a 
full installation. 

So : is it possible to keep part of the software on the distribution 
CD-rom ??

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

From: [email-masked] (Ralph Sims)
Subject: ISDN and Linux
Date: 26 Sep 1994 14:06:50 GMT

I'm going to need to set up my Linux box to access an external ISDN
TA, and wonder if there's anything 'interesting' I should know?  If
there's anyone using ISDN along with Linux, I'd appreciate your
input.  Email's fine--I'll attempt to summarize.

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

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux.development
From: [email-masked] (C.W. Southern)
Subject: Need MOTIF Library Clone
Reply-To: [email-masked] ()
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:44:00 GMT

I am looking for MOTIF libraries.  I don't need MOTIF, just the libraries.
I once saw that someone metion that there where some MOTIF Library clones
out there.  Does anyone know about this?  Can anyone help.

thanks

-- 
Chris Southern                                          RIT Computer Science 
E-mail: [email-masked]               WWW: http://ultb.rit.edu/~cws9669

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

From: [email-masked] (Ogden, Aaron A)
Crossposted-To: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: Motherboard recommendations?
Date: 24 Sep 1994 00:04 CDT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Lulu of the lotus-eaters) writes...
>John Wallace ([email-masked]) wrote:
>: What is a good price/performance VLB motherboard which is 
>: both OS/2 & Linux compatible?  I have 4 60ns 1x9 SIMMs
>: (30-pin) and 1 60ns 4x36 SIMMs (72 pin) to put into the 
>: board, although I could do without the 4 1x9s if I had to.
>: Any help would be appreciated.

Well, here in Houston you can get a fully loaded 486 board with 3 VLB slots,
256k L2 cache, and AMI or Award BIOS for about $100.  No CPU.

A 486dx33 with the above stats is about $230, a 486dx2/66 is about $320.
These prices are for CPU and motherboard.

I don't know what the prices are like in Mass., but this might give you
some idea of pricing.  (In the US, anyway)

+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
|  InterNet: [email-masked]    |  "So much poison in power           |
|  FidoNet: Archon @ 1:106/6824        |   The principles get left out       |
|  ([email-masked])  |   So much mind on the matter        |
|  BBS: 713.664.6824 @ 2400-14.4k      |   The spirit is forgotten about."   |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------------+

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

From: [email-masked] (Bengt-Erik Norum)
Subject: Re: Q: Reading from a ext2fs partition from DOS?
Date: 24 Sep 1994 04:53:30 GMT

Jeff Epler ([email-masked]) wrote:
> >Well, you could boot a dos floopy and use the program to clear the
> >password field for root's entry in /etc/passwd. Now you have root
> >access, which makes it a lot easier for malignant hackers to attack
> >other systems :-(

You can accomplish this by rebooting with the "Boot" and "Root" disks 
provided in the Slackware Distribution and mounting the drive with RW 
access.

> [email-masked] (Niels Skov Olsen) writes:
> The deleted ancestor message implied that an hypothetical ext2fs DOS
> program would allow a public workstation to allow the corruption of a
> Linux machine running elsewhere on the net.

Only if the DOS session is not secure.

> I understand what could be done if an intruder gained physical access
> to a Linux machine with such a program...

Um.  I agree with what I THINK you are trying to say.

--
___   __  
__   /\_\ Bengt-Erik Norum, Student
_   /\/\_\ Department of Computer Science
__  \/\/_/ University of Idaho - Moscow, ID
___  \/_/ http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~beng9393

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

From: [email-masked] (The Mighty Thor)
Subject: Linux software for voice/fax/data
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 94 17:27:32 GMT

I was interested if there was any such software for people like me with a
plain ole USR 14.4 fax/modem?  I was hoping it could answer the phone and
determine the nature of the call and launch the appropiate software, etc.

I would appreciate any suggestions at all.  Thanks in advance.

Sean Butterworth
[email-masked]

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

Crossposted-To: comp.os.linux.help
Subject: Re: 486 Math Not Detected on 486SLC
From: [email-masked] (NAME "Cleetus Overbey Johnson")
Date: 26 Sep 94 02:09:39 EDT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Daniel Andor) writes:
> In article <[email-masked]>
>            [email-masked] "Rob Fugina" writes:
> 
>> >Symptoms:
>> >When installing a fresh 1.1.51 kernel (gcc 2.5.8), and booting things
>> >go ok until it gets to the math coprocessor test where it says
>> >something to the effect:
>> >
>> >Math coprocessor or emulator not found
>> >Giving up
>> >
>> >Anyone know how to fix this or why it is happening? --Karl
>> 
>> I know exactly why it's happening.  The 486SLC doesn't have a math coprocessor.
>> If the salesman said it did, then you got ripped off.
>> 
>> Rob
> 
> Of course you can buy one... (487, that is - next to the proc usually)
> -- 
> Daniel Andor  ----- [email-masked] -----
 SLC motherboards use 387 fpus, not 487s. I have a Cyrix in mine

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

From: [email-masked] (Bill Wiest)
Crossposted-To: comp.dcom.isdn,mn.general
Subject: Re: Linux/FreeBSD ISDN support
Date: Sun, 25 Sep 94 00:46:41 EDT
Reply-To: [email-masked] (Bill Wiest)

[email-masked] (philip m. thompson) writes:

> Neal Dalton ([email-masked]) wrote:
> : I called Digiboard about there ISDN board and asked if they supported
> : Linux or FreeBSD.  They told that they didn't support either, so I them
> : why did not support and they told me they had seen the demand for it.
> : They where planning on a SCO driver.
> 
> : So, I think everyone should, on principle, call Digiboard and tell them
> : that they want this support.
> 
> : DigiBoard * 6400 Flying Cloud Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 * (612) 943-902
> : * E-Mail: [email-masked] * Faxback Service: 612-943-0573 * WWW: http://www
> : European Office * DigiBoard GmbH * Domkloster 1, 50667 Koln Germany * +49 (
> : * E-Mail: same as above 
> : DigiBoard-Asia Pte. Ltd. * Blk 19, Kallang Avenue #07-163, Singapore, 1233 
> 
> Good idea. Incidentally, at Comdex/Spring, a rep at the DigiBoard booth
> told me that, while they weren't working on a driver internally, there
> were some guys at (I think) Rutgers U that were writing DigiBoard drivers for
> Linux. 

Holy catfish, Batman!  We plan to install Linux, and were going to get a 
Digiboard for dialin lines.  What are people using for this, if not 
Digiboards?  Please email me for a response, in addition to any post 
here:
        [email-masked]

Thanks!!

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

From: [email-masked] (nilsen)
Crossposted-To: git.unix.linux,comp.os.linux.help,comp.os.linux.admin
Subject: Orchid Kelvin 64 Xfree86 Driver Availability ???
Date: 24 Sep 1994 05:41:47 GMT

Does anyone know if drivers have been written for this card yet??

I think it uses a cirrus logic 5434 chipset

I would obviously prefer the driver to be public domain

I know that it is supposed to be coming in xfree86 3.1, when is this due
out???  

Is there any way i can get an advance copy of the driver??

And what does accelerated vs. unaccelerated support mean on the linux 
hardware compatability sheet??

thanx,

-- 
Robert Windsor Nilsen III     | We make holes in teeth!
[email-masked] |

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

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End of Linux-Misc Digest
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