Linux Lab

[admin]

as i mentioned in the other thread we will be installing Linux in a clarse and i was wondering if anyone had any ideas to make the lab more interesting. I am sure he is just going to have us just install it and thats it, but i am thinking if i can suggest something that we could all learn something from he would let us do it. Usually when we install an OS, there are usually about 7 or 8 Dells as our workstations, and one Hub. So networking them would be cool. I have never done so, so i would learn, but is there something we could do so that we can show off Linux because i would image networking them would only consist of confuring IP addressses?? I will look it up or if anyone can break it down.

Also, i think it would great to install Red Hat as a server on at least one PC since i have never seen a Linux server. We have all seen Win2k advanced servers many times. Linux Server lab would be great..

what do you think?

[neuromancer]

I have no real network here so I'm not familiar with what to do. Tim posted a bit on accessing his home network with Samba and he would have the skinny on that.

As far as a server platform I have run httpd off my box. I usually only do it as a localhost sort of deal but for jollies I have `broadcast` to the net several times. You just have to change the firewall configuration to open up those ports. I close them after I play just because I'm not keen on the security issues and leaving the ports open would be asking for trouble.

I did successfully get my `Windows` drive to mount today ! Playing MP3's off that drive in my Linux box now  

David

[neuromancer]

Not sure how involved and how much time you guys get to devote to installing stuff but ...

For a real challenge and a glimpse at a true `UNIX` type program and the issues involved in configuring a `modular` scheme try getting `Mutt` to send and recieve mail ... LOL I only laugh because for me this was a true `geek` endeavor. You have to get Mutt, Sendmail, and Fetchmail to play together and if you do not have a static IP address figuring out `mask envelope` is a challenge. I just mention it because it is not easy and sometimes those kinds of challenges are cool.

David

[admin]

Yep getting the my FAT drive mounted was one of the very first things i did when i got red hat 8 going way back when. there is a great tutorial on how to do so at JustLinux.com

I never set it to be able to write to it though. I am going to have this be one of the things to be in our lab though.

But since we going to be working with Hard Drives with nothing on them, can the disk druid create a Fat Partition? or will the Fat partition have to be there already?

[neuromancer]

But since we going to be working with Hard Drives with nothing on them, can the disk druid create a Fat Partition? or will the Fat partition have to be there already?

I'm not really strong on `disk druid` ... but I do believe you will need the Fat partition there already. Partition management is not in my knowledge base ... LOL. I recently read in `Linux Magazine` about a GNU program named "parted" which is the basic equivalent of "Partition Magic" .... as in dynamic partition resizer. I am interested in learning more just that it is something I am not willing to play with till I get the drive backed up. Sorry I can't help there.

I thought of another cool project but you will need at least two computers running on the network. One could be Linux and the other could be just about anyting else OS wise. Then set up a VNC server/client deal and remotely run a Windows or OSX or whatever machine from the Linux box. I heard about this deal a while back and then just watched a great segment on TTV with Kevin Rose and some other guy doing a live demonstration. VNC is way cool! It is amazing to see the cursor move on a Windows box and the whole deal is being run from a remote Linux box.

David

[Weave]

With the nine I loaded the Gnome desktop and it was easy to get to any shared file on my network. Easy as pie... I had problems trying to get it to load in KDE though, and I am not sure why.

Sharing internet access also kind of self configured as I was using DHCP.

Now getting my HP printer that was hooked up to my Windows XP Home box was a hair puller. Never did get it to go reliably.

I tried wiping out and throwing RH 8 on there, just to see the difference. Unfortunately, I bagged the install bigtime. Had to redo Windows to get my partitions back. My biggest problem is that I really need to have Windows and I don't have a big enough hard drive for the laptop to dual boot.

Right now I am back to Win98SE again.

[admin]

well i downed the nine, have not installed it yet.

i will definately looking into networking with DHCP, anything else seems way to complicated, if i had the time to figure the suggestions you guys made i would really look into it, but lately it seems that time is slipping away....

--Sal-

[neuromancer]

With the nine I loaded the Gnome desktop and it was easy to get to any shared file on my network. Easy as pie... I had problems trying to get it to load in KDE though, and I am not sure why.

I have always been a KDE diehard. For what ever reason I always had issues with Gnome. Even after loading the nine I just stuck with KDE. About two three weeks ago I switched to Gnome. This one is very stable and I am liking it a lot more than KDE. I never have any issues and I finally figured out a lot of those little tweeky things that get the look and feel more to what I want. I'm sticking with Gnome for now.

if i had the time to figure the suggestions you guys made i would really look into it, but lately it seems that time is slipping away....

I know how you feel. I read a lot of stuff on-line and think "I gotta try that!" but it always falls to the side-project bin and stays there. Once I get on a geek role things pop quick but I try to keep a balance in my life .... That said my balance is still leaning towards the computer but it is my release. It's fun to geek stuff out and see where it takes you.

David

[admin]

As i mentioned in the other thread we started the Linux installs.

This is all we are going to do.

Is Samba installed by default on The Nine? Maybe i can setup a share or something on my PC and at least show that off. My instructor does not know anything about Linux so he wants me to talk about it a little to the clarse. He makes it seem like I know a lot, but i really dont. I only know the crap i had to do. He wants me to show the clarse how to reset a users parseword.

He believes that Linux computers are not secure because of the mere fact that it is Open Source. I know this is not true, but i dont know how to defend the fact so i dont say anything. He also says that NO cooperation uses Linux. This I know is BS, and I am going to look up the Cooperations that do use it and i will mention it if indeed i do talk to the clarse.

We went over Linux a little bit in my Advanced networking clarse, but when i asked if we were going to do an install he said no. I would have loved to setup Apache. It was a test question though. He himself said that we need an entire clarse devoted to Linux. I used to have a Unix clarse and i couldnt wait to take it but was removed from the program.

I want to learn more about Linux, maybe once i am out of school there will be more time. Once there is no homework. Then maybe i can join in the conversations you guys have about this crap....hehe....

--Sal-

[admin]

here is good article on the present and future of Linux Security.

It states that there have been only about 100 viruses that affected Linux. But it is bound to get worse because of the growing popularity.

good reading:
http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci890925,00.html

[admin]

and yet another great article, this one on Samba, which I know nothing about.

http://searchenterpriselinux.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid39_gci895269,00.html

this one says that because it is open source means that security will only get better, to sum up.