Friday, February 28, 2003

Essential Apps (1 of many)

Galeon is my preferred web browser, I like to switch off between emacs
and xemacs, emacs-goodies-el looked interesting and sudo is a must
have.


apt-get install galeon xemacs21 ="http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=name&keywords=
emacs-goodies-el">emacs-goodies-el
sudo


which pulls in 40+M of other stuff...

Post install:

Use visudo to add my account so I can do all thing root.

Essential Email apps


  • evolution -- Ximian's excellent mail app


  • gnus -- My former preferred email app, just now just for reading us
    enet


  • tnef -- command line to unpack those pesky attachments from misconf
    igured Microsoft Exchange gateway servers




apt-get install evolution gnusef="http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=name&keyword
s=tnef"> tnef

Essential Multimedia apps (1 of many)

To watch movies and listen to music...



apt-get install xine-ui xmms xmms-arts xmms-crossfade
xmms-infopipe xmms
-status-plugin
mikmod
vorbis-tools zinf


Edit /etc/modules to add
soundcore
and
maestro
. Also I n
eeded to add
myself to the audio group by using 'vigr' and making the audio line
look like this:
audio:x:29:marc

Essential Palmpilot tools.

apt-get install these palm pilot related tools: jpilot ef="http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?searchon=name&keyword
s=jpilot-plugins">jpilot-plugins

pilot-link pilot-link-perl

debian configuration (1 of many)



  • This morning's install missed setting up a reasonable /etc/hosts file. Most no
    tably is the lack of localhost.

    Here is what mine looks like now:

    127.0.0.1 localhost
    192.168.1.101 homebrew # home server





  • Get and configure ntp-simple -- I'm using tick.mit.edu s
    ince they are
    about 60 miles and 8 hops from home.


  • Get mozilla-psm to add ssl support to mozilla/galeon



  • apt-get install wireless tools, now configure
    /etc/pcmcia/wireless.opts to look something like this:


  • # Lucent Wavelan IEEE (+ Orinoco, RoamAbout and ELSA)
    # Melco/Buffalo Networks WLI-PCM-L11
    # Note : wvlan_cs driver only, and version 1.0.4+ for encryption support
    *,*,*,00:60:1D:*|*,*,*,00:02:2D:*)
    INFO="Wavelan IEEE example (Lucent default settings)"
    ESSID="10wildcat"
    MODE="Managed"
    KEY="AAAA-BBBB-CC [1] key 9072-ae6a-ff [2] key aabb-ccdd-ee [3] key 777
    7-7777-77 [4]"
    IWCONFIG="key [1]"
    ;;

    (where AAAA-BBBB-CC is my key1)

    Also configure eth1 in /etc/network/interfaces by adding this:


    auto eth1
    iface eth1 inet dhcp


Essential App: Nautilus

While I'm not usually a fan of file browsers, Nautilus comes in handy
sorting large number of scanned genealogy documents.


apt-get install galeon-nautilus nautilus-extra nautilus-suggested

Thursday, February 27, 2003

Recycled Spam


A person, unknown to me, by the name of "Lucas Ambe"
, sent this recycled spam to me and 44
unknown people. Interestingly most of those those other 44 folks are
from non-US domains --




To: (removed)@worldpath.net, (removed)@aq.org,
(removed)@debisschop.net, (removed)@lycos-inc.com,
(removed)@wless-rikerud.moneybin.net, (removed)@predawnia.org,
(removed)@free.fr, (removed)@udel.edu,
(removed)@klaralvdalens-datakonsult.se, postmaster@futureware.at,
(removed)@survival.pnet.pl, (removed)@atosorigin.com,
(removed)@rmki.kfki.hu, (removed)@waldherr.org, (removed)@eink.com,
(removed)@wardr23.fsnet.co.uk, (removed)@uol.com.br,
(removed)@eng.uts.edu.au, (removed)@libero.it,
(removed)@suite3220.com, (removed)@yahoo.com,
(removed)@pluto.linux.it, (removed)@yahoo.com, (removed)@pe.net,
(removed)@pobox.com, (removed)@struyve.be, (removed)@wakkanet.fi,
(removed)@fzu.cz, (removed)@mac.com, (removed)@sh.cvut.cz,
(removed)@pama.cz, (removed)@kempler.net, (removed)@io.com,
(removed)@zeus.usm.edu.ec, marc@nozell.com,
(removed)@iro.umontreal.ca, (removed)@eclipt.uni-klu.ac.at,
(removed)@scdi.com, (removed)@ces.clemson.edu, (removed)@gmx.de,
(removed)@wspse.de, (removed)@wibblific.fsnet.co.uk,
(removed)@imsb.au.dk, (removed)@libero.it,
(removed)@users.sourceforge.net

[... many forwarded headers missing ...]

Subject: Re: if u delete this u hav no heart!

In a message dated 01/06/2003 9:30:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,
LOVEABLE31011 writes:

Hello, My name is Krista Marie and I have anew born baby named Natalie. She
means the world to me, and just resently, the doctors have discovered that
my little Natalie has Brain Cancer. Unfortunatly my husband and I don't have
the money to pay for the bill. But my husband and I have worked out a deal
with AOL and they have agreed to give us 5cents to each person that recived
this e-mail. So please, forward this to everyone you know, and help out my
little Natalie and I.

-Krista Marie



This is the second christian (eagleforchrist) related spam I've gotten
recently. I hope this isn't a trend.




The first was another stranger, "Jim and Chris" ,
sending me this:




There will be a World Day of Prayer, on 3 March 2003 at 3:03 P.M. A prayer bad
ly needed to heal this world and bring peace.
Pray you will be able to join everyone.

God Bless You

Blosxom 2.0 beta *3*

Boy, Rael is really crankin' out the releases -- href="http://www.raelity.org/apps/blosxom/download.shtml">blosxom 2.0
beta 3 is out and you're using it right now.

Installing Debian while a running Red Hat 8.0 system

I've been running a triple bootable Compaq Armada M700 laptop --
Microsoft Windows 2000, Red Hat 8.0 and Debian. On the internal disk
is W2k and RH8 a long with my /home partition. A second disk in the
multibay slot had Debian/sarge on it. I recently replaced the second
disk with a new 20G drive and thought it would be simpler to reinstall
debian on the new disk rather than try to restore it from the previous
disk. Here are my step by step instructions on on how I installed
Debian on the second drive while running Red Hat.




I'm also going to try to note all the packages/configurations needed for this d
ebian laptop which other people may find useful.




  • The first thing to do is read the instructions from "chroot
    Debian Install From A Booted System mini-HOWTO"


  • Partition disk as to create a 4G partition (/dev/hdb1) and a 512M
    swap disk (/dev/hdb2), the rest will be carved up later.



  • mkfs.ext3 /dev/hdb1
    mkswap /dev/hdb2


  • Create a directory for the new partition and then mount it,


    mkdir /debian-root
    mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 /debian-root/



  • Grab the debian potato base


    http://http.us.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-i386/current/base2_
    2.tgz


  • Unpack into a free partition


    cd /debian-root
    tar zxvf ~/base2_2.tgz



  • chroot into the environment:


    chroot /debian-root bin/bash




  • create a reasonable fstab for the new partition

    The debian root will be on my 2nd disk. There is also a swap disk
    on the 2nd disk as well as the first (currently used by Red Hat,
    more on that later)


    #
    #
    /dev/hdb1 / ext3 defaults 0 0
    /dev/hdb2 none swap sw 0 0
    proc /proc proc defaults 0 0


  • /proc





  • Set timezone (the dpkg-reconfigure console-data didn't work for me.)


    tzconfig





  • (re)configure the debian base

    Copy what in Red Hat's /etc/resolv.conf into the chroot'ed /etc/resolv.conf


    search americas.cpqcorp.net
    nameserver 16.103.131.242


    Set any proxies if you need them.


    export -p http_proxy=http://proxy.compaq.com:8080
    export -p no_proxy=.hp.com


    Consider editing /etc/apt/sources.list if you have a local debian
    mirror that carries 'potato'


    dpkg-reconfigure base-config


    At this point it will download a bunch of files from the debian mirror
    site.

    I get this error:

    /var/lib/dpkg/info/base-config.postinst: /usr/share/base-config/stage4: No su
    ch
    file or directory

    One thing this doesn't do is remove /sbin/unconfigured.sh



  • Edit /etc/network/interfaces


    auto lo
    iface lo inet loopback

    auto eth0
    iface eth0 inet dhcp



  • /etc/hostname put some one word in that file for your hostname, in my case
    elephanttalk



  • While at 'stable':


    $ apt-get update
    $ apt-get dist-upgrade


  • Edit /etc/apt/sources.list to use 'sarge' instead and upgrade to
    sarge...


    $ apt-get update
    $ apt-get dist-upgrade

    $ dpkg-reconfigure -a # just for good measure



  • Install a kernel and bunch of useful tools...



    $ apt-get install kernel-headers-2.4.20-686 kernel-image-2.4.20-686 aptitude ss
    h emacs21



    NOTE: Say no to any lilo configuration. I used grub which is on the
    MBR of the first disk.


  • removed /sbin/unconfigured.sh



    auto lo
    iface lo inet loopback

    auto eth0
    iface eth0 inet dhcp





  • In /etc/grub.conf of the redhat 8.0 system, add this:


    title Debian/sarge (2.4.20)
    root (hd1,0)
    kernel /vmlinuz ro vga=0f07 root=/dev/hdb1
    initrd /initrd.img



  • reboot



  • to get the network up, I needed to manually type 'insmod e100' and then '
    ifup eth0'.

  • use tasksel and pick X window system, laptop system and install a
    bunch of stuff.

  • Use dselect and add kdebase. This will require a bunch of other
    packages, add enough that kdebase can be installed.

  • I like the look of kde's login manager better than xdm, apt-get
    install kdm.

  • apt-get these essential apps: rsync, kernel-pcmcia-2.4.20-686

  • getting networking (wired & wireless) going:

    Add to /etc/modules

    e100 # for builtin 10/100
    yenta_socket # pcmcia for Compaq Armada M700
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2003

    Blosxom 2.0 beta 2


    I bit the bullet and installed href="http://www.raelity.org/apps/blosxom/download.shtml">blosxom 2.0
    beta 2 and love the href="http://www.raelity.org/apps/blosxom/plugin.shtml">new plugin
    ability. So far I've added the calendar and categories to the right
    side of the page.

    Sunday, February 23, 2003

    Updated blosxom debian packages are available


    blosxom_0.5i-4 closes the 'href="http://bugs.debian.org/179432">needs a manpage' and 'href="http://bugs.debian.org/176359">What about apache-ssl?' bugs.


    Accepted:
    blosxom_0.5i-4.diff.gz
    to pool/main/b/blosxom/blosxom_0.5i-4.diff.gz
    blosxom_0.5i-4.dsc
    to pool/main/b/blosxom/blosxom_0.5i-4.dsc
    blosxom_0.5i-4_all.deb
    to pool/main/b/blosxom/blosxom_0.5i-4_all.deb
    Announcing to debian-devel-changes@lists.debian.org
    Closing bugs: 176359 179432


    Saturday, February 15, 2003

    Currier Art Center of Manchester, NH

    For the last few semesters our oldest two children have been
    attending the Currier Art
    Center
    's Saturday morning art classes and just love it. Not
    only are they learning a lot, the instructors are very nice.



    Between the two of them they have taken clay work and general
    drawing in various media classes. At the end of each semester
    there is an art show for all the weekend classes.



    If you are looking for enrichment programs for your children
    (or even yourself) this is a really great resource.

    Tuesday, February 11, 2003

    man page for blosxom


    For debian, I wrote a man page for blosxom. Any comments before I
    check it it? Note that it refers to blosxom 0+5i...





    Audioscrobbler

    audioscrobbler is a neat little xmms/winamp plug-in that sends your music listening habits to a centralized server and then compares your preferences with others. Cool way to find out about new music that you might like!

    It appears that this morning that their webserver is a bit overloaded and have noticed that song transitions are sometimes very slow. I'm also behind a proxy, so that may add to the overhead.

    Monday, February 10, 2003

    emacs mode for faster blogging -- dme:blog.el


    While googling on wikis and blogs, I found David Edmondson's nice
    emacs hack: href="http://www.hollytree-house.co.uk/dme/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/emacs">http://ww
    w.hollytree-house.co.uk/dme/cgi-bin/blosxom.cgi/emacs.



    M-x dme:blog prompts for a blog entry name which
    eventually is tied to the final filename. C-c s sets the
    blog entry category (read subdirectory, perhaps nested ones) and
    finally it uses the cvs check-in keystroke C-s # to 'commit'
    the blog by writing it to your blog directory with the creation time
    part of the filename. For example this file is saved as
    200302101358_blogging-emacs-mode.txt. The editing buffer is
    in HTML major mode, so all the HTML editing binding are set.




    I'm not too keen on how html-mode puts all the HTML 'dressing' at the
    top and bottom of the entry -- it is nice for random web pages but a
    bit over kill for a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/~rael/lang/perl/blosxom/">blosxom
    entry. Perhaps a hack using html-mode-hook to remove the 'dressing'
    is in order.

    Patch for dme:blog.el to add post-find-hook

    Here is a patch I sent to href="http://www.hollytree-house.co.uk/dme">David Edmondson to let
    people customize the blog buffer the way they want it.



    cd ~/
    diff -c /home/marc/dme\:blog.el.orig /home/marc/dme\:blog.el
    *** /home/marc/dme:blog.el.orig Mon Feb 10 14:39:09 2003
    --- /home/marc/dme:blog.el Mon Feb 10 14:44:11 2003
    ***************
    *** 32,44 ****
    ;; at:
    ;; http://www.hollytree-house.co.uk/dme/log/

    ;; Feedback encouraged !

    (require 'easy-mmode)

    ;;; Customisation:

    ! (defvar dme:blog-destinations '(("~/var/blog" nil nil t))
    "A alist of places where the blog entries should be published. Each
    entry in the list has four elements:
    dir - the directory,
    --- 32,55 ----
    ;; at:
    ;; http://www.hollytree-house.co.uk/dme/log/

    + ;; Marc Nozell Mon Feb 10 14:44:04 2003
    + ;; Added dme:blog-post-find-hook so he could clean up the fixup the
    + ;; buffer after html-mode put in its stuff.
    + ;;
    + ;; Example:
    + ;; (add-hook 'dme:blog-post-find-hook '(lambda ()
    + ;; (erase-buffer)
    + ;; (goto-char (point-min))))
    +
    +
    +
    ;; Feedback encouraged !

    (require 'easy-mmode)

    ;;; Customisation:

    ! (defvar dme:blog-destinations '(("~/public_html/blog" nil nil t))
    "A alist of places where the blog entries should be published. Each
    entry in the list has four elements:
    dir - the directory,
    ***************
    *** 61,66 ****
    --- 72,80 ----
    (defvar dme:blog-pre-commit-hook nil
    "Hook run just before a blog entry is committed.")

    + (defvar dme:blog-post-find-hook nil
    + "Hook run just after the blog entry is created.")
    +
    (defvar dme:blog-category nil
    "The category of the current blog item. This is simply a directory
    below the blog directory (see the Blosxom documentation for more
    ***************
    *** 168,173 ****
    --- 182,190 ----
    (insert body)))))

    (html-mode)
    + ; ready to start editing
    + (run-hooks 'dme:blog-post-find-hook)
    +
    (dme:blog-mode t))

    (defun dme:blog-gnus-pretty-group (group)

    Diff finished at Mon Feb 10 14:44:16