- wlug - University of Waikato Mail Lists

Mozilla Foundation.
by Oliver Jones 17 Mar '05

17 Mar '05

Hi Folks. I decided to donate some bucks to the Mozilla Foundation and in the process bought a Firefox/Thunderbird Guide & CD and a Firefox poster. I don't need them so I thought I'd donate them to the WLUG. Perhaps the poster can be displayed somewhere prominently at Waikato Uni in an effort to encourage Firefox adoption. Where do I send them? Regards -- Oliver Jones » Roving Code Warrior oliver(a)deeperdesign.com » +64 (21) 41 2238 » www.deeperdesign.com

2 1

UPS's for sale, work with Linux, BSD, etc.
by Oliver Jones 15 Mar '05

15 Mar '05

Hi Folks. As we are Linux types we tend to leave out PC's and servers on all the time. As such it is good to have UPS power protection. Historically I've always used SOLA (now Powerware) gear. I have a few used SOLA UPS's for sale. I have an older SOLA 320/700VA device for sale for $80. A newer SOLA 325/750VA for $250 and a SOLA 520/1800VA Rackmount for $970. The 520/1800VA device is only about 14 months old and in excellent condition. I also have a SOLA 325/1000VA device but I think its battery has died. I need to run some tests. The outcome of those tests will dictate price. Batteries can be easily sourced from the NZ distributor in Auckland. These are all good quality devices with online buck and boost to keep the power running smoothly into protected equipment. The 700VA & 750VA devices will keep a workstation/server running for about 30 to 45 minutes on battery depending on the equipments current draw. The Rackmount unit will keep a few power hungry servers running for about the same time. Less power hungry devices will probably last about 1.5 hours on it. All of the UPS devices can be monitored via their included serial cables and they come with monitoring software for a variety of OSs including Linux and BSD. Though the included Unix software isn't as good as NUT (www.networkupstools.org). I actually managed to get SOLA to provide protocol documentation of the UPSs to the NUT project which was nice. The 520 also has an SNMP expansion card bay. No need to replace power cords either like you do with some APC gear. All the UPS's have four standard AU/NZ power plugs on the back. If anyone needs a good Linux/BSD compatible UPS let me know. Note that all prices include GST but exclude shipping. Regards -- Oliver Jones » Roving Code Warrior oliver(a)deeperdesign.com » +64 (21) 41 2238 » www.deeperdesign.com

1 0

Upcoming WLUG committee meeting (1 week today)
by Meeting Reminder bot 15 Mar '05

15 Mar '05

As per the WLUG charter, please note that there is a WLUG executive committee meeting one week from today. If you wish to get an item on the agenda for this meeting, please email it to secretary(a)wlug.org.nz. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WLUG Committee Meeting To have something added to the agenda for this meeting, please email secretary @ wlug.org.nz. Provisional agenda: # Minutes from previous meeting # Matters arising # Correspondence # Treasurers report # Reply To Munging on the mailing list # General business

1 0

Erics Ultimate Solitare
by Oliver Jones 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

I have a copy of Eric's Ultimate Solitaire to give away. Lucky person gets to pay the postage... ;) Regards -- Oliver Jones » Roving Code Warrior oliver(a)deeperdesign.com » +64 (21) 41 2238 » www.deeperdesign.com

4 6

WLUG server down because of tunnel fire?
by Ian McDonald 09 Mar '05

09 Mar '05

I am guessing that this is the reason it is not up still? Can anybody confirm.

2 2

Effective advocacy.
by Greig McGill 08 Mar '05

08 Mar '05

Hi WLUGers. I realise, as displayed at the last LUG meeting, that most of you read slashdot. :) Even so, I'd like to ensure that all of you have read the O'Reilly article on effective advocacy. Advocacy is something that is very important to me, and our WLUG Charter also lists it as one of the core goals of our group. http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2005/03/03/advocacy.html I think we have been doing well lately to be taken reasonably seriously as a LUG, and I'd like to continue this trend. One thing which I perceive to be damaging to our credibility is people at meetings asking "questions" which are little more than excuses to rant about how Microsoft ate their baby/killed their cat/defiled their church/whatever. I don't like Microsoft. I've never liked them, even before they adopted their extremely aggressive and monopolistic business practices. That said, calling them evil, and frothing at the mouth to people who can't do anything about it, does absolutely nothing to help the situation. It only serves to weaken the perception of the WLUG as a credible entity. Jokes are fine. I like jokes. Just remember that nobody likes to listen to a zealot (think of the mad bible bashers in Garden Place...), and "being that guy" will never get you taken seriously. This is as close to official as I like to get, so please take it on board. Your funloving, but slightly frustrated President, Greig McGill.

4 3

WLUG Meeting is tonight
by Meeting Reminder bot 01 Mar '05

01 Mar '05

The WLUG meeting is this evening ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Presenting at this meeting is Robert O'Callahan (http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/roc/), a member of the Ximian] desktop http://www.wlug.org.nz/Linux group at http://www.wlug.org.nz/Novell, responsible for http://www.wlug.org.nz/Mozilla/http://www.wlug.org.nz/Firefox ([MozillaFirefox) browser development and the integration of Firefox into Novell's Linux desktop product. The meeting will start at 7:30pm in the LITB (http://www.wlug.org.nz/LitB) room B.G.02 at WaikatoUniversity. Robert did his undergraduate study at the University of Auckland and has a PhD] from http://www.wlug.org.nz/Carnegie Mellon ([CMU) university. He has also previously worked at IBM Research. He made it known that he wanted a full time job working on Mozilla that he could do from New Zealand, and Novell hired him for their desktop team to work fulltime in Auckland on Mozilla improvements, including multi-column layout for web pages and improved SVG (scalable vector graphics) support. * Robert's blog (http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/roc/) * An article on Ben Goodger and Robert O'Callahan from the NZ Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=11&ObjectID=10010075) Thanks to Douglas Harvey of the Systems & Technology Group at IBM] New Zealand and Chris Penney of http://www.wlug.org.nz/Novell for arranging this meeting. Beer and pizza will be provided compliments of [Value Added Distributors (http://www.vad.co.nz/), the principal distributor for IBM iSeries and pSeries equipment in New Zealand.

8 13

RE: [wlug] WLUG Meeting was last night
by David Nicholls 01 Mar '05

01 Mar '05

Its not just that, it's users having to wade through copious quantities of emails. I get enough without getting duplicates! All I can say is thank god for filtering. Cheers... david -----Original Message----- From: Daniel Lawson [mailto:daniel@meta.net.nz] Sent: Wednesday, 2 March 2005 11:53 am Subject: Re: [wlug] WLUG Meeting was last night Just to follow this point up, this point seems like it might have a bigger impact if we still lived in the days where you were changed $30/MB for email. Data is basically flatrate, so sending lots of emails doesn't matter any more. However, spam and virus scanning isn't cheap. I've seen threads on mailing lists CC'd to 6 lists members and the list itself. That's another 6 passes through spam and virus scanning processes. Unless spamassassin etc are smart enough to do duplicate suppression themselves - anyone have any idea if that's the case? _______________________________________________ wlug mailing list | wlug(a)list.waikato.ac.nz Unsubscribe: http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug

1 0

ubuntu cds
by David Nicholls 01 Mar '05

01 Mar '05

hi guys, my official ubuntu cds finally arrived the other day (i have a number of x86 32bit and about 5 64bit vers). if anyone wants a set, just drop me a line to organise pickup. ih and for those mac fans i also have 1 ppc version... i would like to keep this one though, so i am quite happy to copy it. finally, the x86 32 bit packages come with both a live cd & an install cd. the 64 bit version only comes with a single install cd. cheers... David Nicholls Computer Support Consultant School of Science & Engineering/Dept of Chemistry The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

1 0

Hypervisor and IBM's open source
by Ian McDonald 28 Feb '05

28 Feb '05

Found the article mentioned last night - was as CNet not Slashdot... It's not the full Hypervisor - parts of it IBM throws weight behind multi-OS push By Stephen Shankland http://news.com.com/IBM+throws+weight+behind+multi-OS+push/2100-1016_3-5588… Story last modified Thu Feb 24 04:00:00 PST 2005 IBM has quietly added a new option to the suddenly vogue market for "hypervisor" software that lets a computer run multiple operating systems simultaneously, CNET News.com has learned. But Big Blue's efforts aren't likely to squash a potential rival just flexing its muscles. IBM has released source code for its Research Hypervisor, or rHype, on its Web site, letting anyone examine the approach of a company renowned for its expertise in the field. One distinguishing feature: rHype works with multiple processor varieties, including IBM's Power family, widely used x86 chips such as Intel's Xeon, and the new Cell microprocessor codeveloped by IBM, Sony and Toshiba. News.context What's new: Big Blue quietly enters the noisy market for "hypervisor" software, which lets a computer run multiple operating systems simultaneously. Bottom line: Considering its open-source nature and IBM's actions so far, rHype is more likely to be a help than a hindrance to a competing project called Xen. More stories on hypervisor The project potentially competes with two commercial products--Microsoft's Virtual Server and EMC's VMware--and with the open-source Xen software that has attracted support from numerous computing heavyweights. But given rHype's open-source nature and IBM's actions so far, rHype is more likely to be a help than a hindrance to Xen. Specifically, it could help Xen move from its current base of x86 chips to IBM's Power. "We've spent quite some time talking to its authors," Xen founder Ian Pratt said. "Now that the rHype code is open source, it's a great starting point for a port of Xen to Power." The rHype software may be incorporated directly into Xen because both packages are governed by the General Public License (GPL), Pratt said. And IBM isn't shying away: Its programmers have been contributing to the Xen project. It makes sense for IBM to help Xen, said Charles King, principal analyst of Pund-IT Research. "It sounds like a natural point of intersection, given IBM's natural interest in open source and in virtualization," King said. IBM is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to hypervisor software, which it has supported for decades on its mainframes and has brought to its Power-based Unix servers. But for x86 servers, IBM chose a partnership with VMware rather than bring its own technology to market. IBM declined to comment on most details of rHype. However, Tom Bradicich, chief technology officer for IBM's Intel-based xSeries server line, said Tuesday that it's not likely IBM will turn rHype into a product. "It's in the realm of the possible, but we don't foresee it at this time," Bradicich said. IBM has used rHype to aid three internal projects. One is sHype, the Secure Hypervisor project to build barriers between different virtual machines. Another is validating features of the Cell processor, which has nine separate processing cores. And a third is an IBM supercomputing project called PERCS (Productive, Easy-to-use, Reliable Computing System). Hypervisor hype A hypervisor--a term IBM is trying to trademark--is basic software that runs atop the processor, allocating resources such as processing power, memory and network links. By creating virtual connections to these resources--"virtualizing" them--the hypervisor provides a flexible foundation that can let a computer run multiple operating systems and thus multiple tasks more efficiently. Juggling numerous tasks has long been a useful ability for corporate computing centers. Now such abilities are increasingly useful at home as computer networks get more complex and useful, King said. "It's fascinating to me that something that's been seen as a benefit for enterprise data centers is percolating its way down into the set-top box," King said. The rHype software virtualizes only some resources, which makes it fall into the same "paravirtualization" category as the Xen hypervisor project. IBM developed security software called sHype on the rHype software, but in January it pledged to create a version that will work with Xen. Among features IBM touts with rHype: • A design that can handle sophisticated memory tasks and that works well with high-speed cache memory. • Support for IBM's open-source K42 operating system for multiprocessor servers. • The ability to run on several processor simulators, including the "Mambo" simulator of IBM's PowerPC 970 family of processors, the general-purpose QEMU simulator and the BOCHS x86 simulator. rHype also has run on VMware. • Interfaces to use the software on servers with multiple processors and with multithreaded processors--those that can execute multiple simultaneous instruction sequences. Divide and conquer Xen and rHype contrast with virtual machine software such as VMware and Virtual Server, which employ full virtualization. That means an operating system doesn't need to be modified, as generally is the case with paravirtualization today, but runs more slowly. There are other ways of dividing a system so it can run multiple operating systems. Some higher-end IBM Intel servers have hardware-based partitions. And Linux-Vserver, SW-soft's Virtuozzo and Solaris containers divides a single instance of an operating system so it appears that separate users have their own copies. In addition to the rHype project, IBM has a commercial hypervisor running on machines that use its Power processors. Because rHype uses the same interfaces as the commercial hypervisor, Linux doesn't have to be modified to run on an rHype-Power foundation. With rHype on x86 chips, Linux must be modified to work. IBM isn't the only company interested in helping Xen grow beyond x86 servers. Hewlett-Packard programmers have been working on Xen for computers using Intel's Itanium 2 processor. Although IBM is sharing the source code underlying the rHype project, it currently isn't accepting modifications from outsiders.

1 0