343 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
343 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
Chaos Corner V01 N04 07August91
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--------------------------------------------------
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AIX 2, PC-RT, NetNews
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It has been a VERY busy two weeks here in Chaos Corner. For some
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unknown reason, Dr Chaos decided to attempt a network-load of a BSD Unix
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operating system onto an IBM RT. One week later, with many phone calls
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to Paul Schwartz and Gary Kakazu in the Theory Center and the job was
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basicly complete. Dr. Chaos would have mentioned the invaluable
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assistance he received from Gary Buhrmaster of CIT Systems Programming
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Services, except that Gary already extracted full repayment in terms of
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the abuse he gave Dr. Chaos during the process. Sometime when you have
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some spare moments, ask Dr. Chaos about the "ifconfig" command that
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displays the current value of a parameter in one format, but only
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accepts a new value specified in a different format. Ask him how many
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times he updated the items on the install menu (for a program that can't
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remember the changed values from one time to the next). Ask him about
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the keyboard that was locked and wouldn't function until the key on the
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front of the machine was locked and then unlocked. Ask him about what
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it's like to have the system finally boot and then realize that you only
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know the password to an unprivileged userid and the system won't let you
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login as "root" to complete the configuration. Ask him how, with a
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bootable diskette and physical access to the machine, Gary B. and Dr.
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Chaos were able to crack the system and login with root privileges.
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Finally, when it appeared that success was at hand; Dr. Chaos, with
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trembling fingers entered "cd /usr/games" .... and discovered that the
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directory was empty! Aaaarrrggghhh!
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--------------------------------------------------
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OS/2 beta test
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All in all, the experience of the networked installation of Unix on the
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RT made the installation of OS/2 2.0 on a PS/2 seem trivial. Partition
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the disks; let the installer load the contents of 6 floppies; and there
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you are. Ahhhhh .... Solitaire! Reversi! Tetris! The big question now
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is why OS/2 on penguin doesn't accept the same file for wallpaper used
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by puffin with DOS/Windows? The online HELP didn't. It looks like it
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must be time to hit the OS/2 Forum on CompuServe. One neat program is
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called Pulse ... it opens a small window that gives a recent history
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graph of the CPU utilization. It sometimes doesn't take much to amuse
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Dr. Chaos. A program similar to Pulse that runs under Windows 3.0 is
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available in cica.cica.indiana.edu in the /pub/pc/win3/util directory in
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a file named perfm201.zip. (Of course, all these programs are based on
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the Unix "xload" utility.)
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--------------------------------------------------
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High speed modems
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Dr. Chaos did do some real work during the past two weeks. He bravely
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volunteered to test some new 9600 baud (V.42, V.42bis, V.32, V.32bis)
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modem hardware. I tried to tell him to read the manual first, but he
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grew impatient after a day (and I wasn't making much progress on the
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manual), so he hooked it up and just tried it. It was beautiful! It
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was fast! It worked! Before you get too excited, I have to remind you
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that Dr. Chaos was using this modem with a PC-AT Model 339, so it was a
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nonstandard setup and the grellins must have been asleep. When Tester-
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Tom testily tried the modem with his Mac, the communications gremlins
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had recovered. The modem would not connect to its partner at the other
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end (that's what we all expected, right?).
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--------------------------------------------------
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Network install of AIX 2
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One final comment on the network-install of BSD Unix. A second RT was
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loaded and configured across the network in a single afternoon. Like
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many things, its not IMPOSSIBLE to do quickly, it's just very difficult
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to do without already having done it before. The best policy appears to
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be to make as many mistakes as possible the first time, 'cause it makes
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things go easier after that. Dr Chaos figures that all of you oldest
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children out there know what it is like to be the prototype on whom your
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parents concentrated their child-rearing mistakes. In any case, say
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hello to click and clack (the RT brothers) and penguin -- the newest
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additions to Chaos Corner.
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Mailbag
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--------------------------------------------------
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BinHex -- unconfused (?)
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In the last issue, we reported some information from Tom Young about the
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confusion between BinHex versions 4 and 5. Tom also related that there
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are some helpful utilities written for (gasp!) CMS available from Brown
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University. BINHEX allows you to verify the integrity and check the
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contents of MacBinary (BIN, BinHex 5.0) and HQX (BinHex 4.0) files
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before downloading to a Macintosh. BINHEX can also convert files
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between the two formats. Assembler source for the BINHEX program is in
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the file binhex-vm-cms-files.txt at wuarchive.wustl.edu in the
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mirrors/info-mac/utils directory.
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--------------------------------------------------
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StuffIt!
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Bob Blackman points out (relative to the comments about StuffIt! being a
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standard) that since StuffIt! has turned into a commercial product
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(StuffIt Deluxe), there is a new "standard" called Compactor. It seems
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that Compactor generates files with a ".cpt" extension, stuffs them into
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files with a ".sit" extension for subsequent processing by BinHex.
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Compactor also has a facility for creating "self-extracting archives"
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(with an extension of ".sea", of course). Look for Compactor on
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wuarchive.
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GIFconvertor (for the Mac) correction
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CORRECTION! RETRACTION! ERROR! In the last issue we made the mistake of
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maligning GIFconvertor by saying that it did not seem to get along with
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Mac System 7.0. It seems that tested version retrieved from wuarchive
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was 2.2.6 and the current version (supporting System 7.0) is 2.2.8 (also
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on wuarchive). Anyway, it works fine and uses less memory than Giffer.
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--------------------------------------------------
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The mystery of files ending with ".Z"
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Tom Bruce at the Cornell Law School asked Dr Chaos if he knew of PC
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utilities that could deal with the Unix-processed files ending in ".tar"
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and ".Z"? The "standard" uncompress utility (to deal with ".Z" files)
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is in comp430d.zip on wuarchive in the mirrors/msdos/sq-usq directory.
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Similarly, pdtar.zip is also available from wuarchive to handle the
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".tar" format files in the /mirrors/msdos/fileutl directory.
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--------------------------------------------------
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Installing the Windows 3.0a update (again)
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Gerhard. Dear Gerhard Rentschuler at the University of Stuttgart.
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Gerhard actually questioned the correctness of the modified and updated
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version of the instructions for installing the Windows 3.0a update! In
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the end, he did agree with Dr. Chaos (don't we all?) and claimed that it
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took a whole hour to get his first UAE with the new version of Windows.
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As an interesting sidelight, the original version of Windows was in
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German; the update was in English. The language that appears in any
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given menu or popup is now unpredictable. Gerhard claims that it keeps
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him flexible. Just thinking about it certainly makes Dr. Chaos go
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'round the bend.
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Random and Self Similar Things
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--------------------------------------------------
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WUARCHIVE statistics
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Dr. Chaos received some interesting statistics on what it is like to be
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a major archive site. The Washington University archive in St. Louis
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(wuarchive.wustl.edu) published their statistics for the month of July,
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showing that there was an average of nearly 2,000 MB and 20,000 files
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transfered EACH DAY! Interestingly, two collections, /mirrors/msdos
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(the Simtel20 mirror for PC software), and graphics/gif account for 75%
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of the files and nearly 70% of the data. One additional morsel is that
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Simtel20 (wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) now has an interface to NSFNET through
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WESTNET -- it seems that some people were getting upset about the
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gateways between Milnet and NSFNET being clogged with Simtel's file
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transfer traffic. It's not often that you see a DECSystem 20 being
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"better connected" as opposed to "unconnected" these days!
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--------------------------------------------------
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Stopping the keyclick in AIX 3
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As an example of the international nature of the networks, someone from
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Australia posted a query to the comp.unix.aix Usenet newsgroup, asking
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the important question (for IBM RS/6000 users), how do you get the
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keyboard to stop making the electronic click that is makes by default.
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Answers came in from Heidelberg, Germany (a member of the Heidelberg Red
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Barons Ultimate Frisbee Team); Boston, MA; Yorktown Heights, NY; Palo
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Alto, CA. Finally Andreas Siegert from the AIX Field Support Center for
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IBM Deutschland in Munich (Muenchen), Germany responded with the
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ultimate sledgehammer (it was quite apparent that getting the keyboard
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to be less noisy on the RS/6000 was an issue that many people could
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identify with). The instructions were to first issue the command:
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chdev -l siokb0 -a click=0 -P
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(this tells the ODM that you do not want it). Then edit
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/usr/bin/xinit and add the -c 0 option to all invocations of X.
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Reboot the machine and everything is quiet. (have fun)
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P.S.:
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If you want a fast keyboard permanently, before you reboot, use
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chdev -l siokb0 -a typmatic_rate=30 -P
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--------------------------------------------------
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AIX fix available
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Also on the AIX front, Mark Whetzel reported in comp.unix.aix a happy
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ending to a problem that he originally reported to IBM in January. It
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seems that there is a simple error that any user of an RS/6000 can make
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and it will require the system be rebooted. In April, IBM closed the
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problem, saying, in effect, "Don't make that mistake!" After Mark
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complained on the network about the closing, IBM reopened the problem,
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developed code that Mark has tested, and he reports that the problem is
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now fixed! General availability of the fix will occur with the 2007
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update tape, but if you want it in advance, call the IBM support center
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and ask for apar IX19117. Dr Chaos wonders how long it will take Rick
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Cochran (Cornell Materials Science Center) to obtain and apply that fix
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-- probably not before he gets back from vacation!
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--------------------------------------------------
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AIX archive sites
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Charlie S. Lindahl from the University of Texas posted the responses he
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received to an earlier query on comp.unix.aix about archive sites for
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AIX software. The sites he has checked out are:
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acd.ucar.edu 128.117.32.1 pub/rs6000
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acsc.acsc.com 143.127.0.2 pub
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byron.u.washington.edu 128.95.48.32 pub/aix/RS6000
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cs.utk.edu 128.169.201.1 pub/ibm_rs6000
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merit.edu 35.1.1.42 pub/xntp
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lightning.gatech.edu 128.61.10.8 pub/aix
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--------------------------------------------------
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Fortune Cookie anyone?
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Dr. Chaos has discovered availability of a new twist in Fortune Cookie
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programs. QT-QUOTE has the ability to select quotes from its database
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(it comes with over 4000 quotes) based on subject, in addition to the
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standard random selection. Look for QT201.ZIP at wuarchive.wustl.edu in
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the mirrors/msdos/txtutl directory.
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Blue Ninja on Compuserve
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A recent media event that you probably didn't miss, but just in case you
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did, was the open discussion of OS/2 Release 2.0 that Lee Reiswig (aka
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Blue Ninja) had with developers on CompuServe. A full transcript is
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available in ninja.compuserve.transcript at pelican.cit.cornell.edu in
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the /pub directory.
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--------------------------------------------------
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Cold winter forecast due to volcano and oil fires
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Enjoying the cooler August weather in the Eastern USA after the hot
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weather in the earlier? Dr. Chaos points out that the time for enjoying
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it is now ... the EcoDigest reports that Adam Trombly of the Aspen
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Institute for Advanced Studies and a member of a team just returning
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from Kuwait, predicts that the combination of smoke from the oil fires
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and the effluent from recent volcanic eruptions will produce a very cold
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and violent winter in the Northern hemisphere this year. Buy your
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snowshovels early and often!
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--------------------------------------------------
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The 1991 hurricane season
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The prediction from William Gray (Colorado St. University) on the WX-
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TALK list (on BITNET) is that the 1991 hurricane season should be below
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average with 3 hurricanes and 7 named storms. This prediction is based
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upon indicators such as the directions of the high altitude winds above
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the equator and the presence or absence of El Nino (warm water in the
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Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean). Dr. Chaos recognizes that many of you
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plan August vacations in Florida, so he wants to set your mind at ease.
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--------------------------------------------------
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Tornado videos
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Speaking of severe weather, those of you who are fascinated with
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tornados can order a videotape containing what is supposed to be great
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footage of a number of tornados (including the Wichita freeway underpass
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pictures from several months ago). Name of the video is "Tornado
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Warning II." The cost is $29.95 plus $3.90 S/H. The address is:
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Weatherstock
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PO Box 44124
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Tuscon AZ 85733
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--------------------------------------------------
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Sun software on CD-ROM (applications)
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Users of Sun workstations (RISC ones) that also have a CR-ROM player may
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be interested in a new offering. A company named RAD has released a CD-
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ROM containing software for 30 popular applications. You can use the
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software for free (except the save and print functions are disabled).
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When you decide to buy a package, all you have to do is call an 800-
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number to get the password that enables the missing functions. Dr,
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Chaos points out that during the course of the telephone call you will
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likely be asked to provide some "coin of the realm" in exchange for the
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password. Neither the cost of the disk nor the cost of the software
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(relative to other delivery mechanisms) are mentioned in the press
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release, but you should expect to see more software delivered in this
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fashion as CD-ROMs become widespread.
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--------------------------------------------------
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SPARC implementation of Macintosh
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Another bonus for Sun users with Mac envy. This fall, Xcelerated
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Systems in San Diego will be bringing out a SPARC implementation of an
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all software emulation of a Macintosh. (Dr. Chaos asks, "Will the
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lawyers from Apple arrive before or after the product ships?")
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--------------------------------------------------
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Practical Unix Security
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Mark Bodenstein sent around an interesting book review (Dr. Chaos points
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out that the book looked interesting too). The review appeared to be
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written by Clifford Stoll (The Cuckoo's Egg) and concerned a new
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O'Reilly & Associates book titled _Practical Unix Security_, by Simson
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Garfinkel & Gene Spafford (ISBN 0-937175-72-2).
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If you're managing a Unix system, get this book. You'll learn
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much more than just how to secure your system. Garf and Spaf walk
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you through networks, file systems, and Unix internals, a tour
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customized for finding security weakness. Previous Unix security
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books were aimed at stand alone systems; this is the first that
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discusses Unix security in a networked environment.
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It sounds like a good buy ... have any of you seen a copy? Dr Chaos
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wonders at the fact that it takes 500 pages to explain how to get a
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"secure" Unix system? a
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--------------------------------------------------
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Unix C Shell book
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In the category of recommended books, especially for beginners in Unix,
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Dr. Chaos found several people who liked _The UNIX C Shell Field Guide_
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by Gail and Paul Anderson. (Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-937468-X)
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--------------------------------------------------
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boustrophedon
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So, you've read this far through a lot of drivel and you're still
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wondering what you have to show for it? CRASH! BOOM! Here is what you
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have been waiting for! One simple word that will wow your friends and
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force your enemies to their knees --- especially if you are among that
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select group of people having *boustrophedonic* devices! What? You
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don't know what it means? Boustrophedonic comes from old *Greek* words
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for "cow" (bous) and "turn" or "plow" (the rest of it) - describing the
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way a farmer with an ox-drawn plow moves across the field.
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--------------------------------------------------
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Hubble Space Telescope
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For those of you waiting breathlessly for further word on the Hubble
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Space Telescope (HST), wait no longer. Current reports on HST can be
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found on stsci.edu in the stsci/hst_news/ directory. These include
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number and types of observations made along with discussions and
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comments about problems.
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--------------------------------------------------
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TLA --- the limit to jargon
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When you are confused; when you feel like there is no hope; just
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remember that there are only 17,576 three letter acronyms (TLAs).
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Dr. Chaos (I have a masters degree)
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