[1277] in linux-announce channel archive
LOCAL: CLUE Newsletter
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Lars Wirzenius)
Sat Nov 4 20:44:34 1995
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 1995 21:00:45 +0200
From: Lars Wirzenius <wirzeniu@cc.helsinki.fi>
To: linux-announce@vger.rutgers.edu
Reply-To: linux-announce-owner@vger.rutgers.edu
Subject: LOCAL: CLUE Newsletter
From: Mark Bolzern <mark@gcs.com>
Approved: linux-announce@news.ornl.gov (Lars Wirzenius)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.announce
Followup-to: comp.os.linux.misc
Organization: ?
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CLUE Newsletter, November 1995
This newsletter is of general geographical interest, but is aimed at
Colorado CLUE members, a Local Linux Users Group. The material should
be of interest even to people in other geographical areas. The reason?
We attempt always to have a good informational summary of the presentation
from the prior month's meeting included.
The Colorado Linux Users & Enthusiasts (CLUE), normally meets the third
Thursday of every month. The next meeting will be at 7:00pm on November 9
(a second Thursday). The location will be Smoky Hill High School, located at
16100 E. Smoky Hill Rd. in southeast Aurora. CLUE is for anyone with an
interest in Linux, whether you are an Expert, or just interested and want
to know more about the Internet and Operating System phenomena that Linux
represents. All interested parties are invited to attend. Let's learn from
each other!!
For more information, or to be added/removed from the CLUE mailing list
contact James at 303-699-7470 or E-Mail: clue@wgs.com, or attend a meeting,
and turn in your information there, currently there is no cost for membership
or newsletter subscription via E-Mail.
- ------
Future Meeting dates will be:
Q4/95 November 9, 1995, December 21, 1995
Q1/96 January 18, 1996, February 15, 1996, March 21, 1996
Q2/96 April 18, 1996, May 16, 1996, June 20, 1996
Directions to Smoky Hill High School: Take Parker south from I-225, to
Quincy. There will be a shopping center on the left, and a Stoplight. Take
a left on Quincy. Then the first stoplight with a right turn will be Smoky
Hill Road. Turn right onto Smoky Hill, cross Chambers (a light), and then
turn right at Laredo (a stop light), then left into the School parking lot.
Go past the main entrance, and to the activities entrance.
Door prizes will be given away at every meeting. CLUE would be happy to
accept additional door prizes from anyone who would like to donate them.
- ------
HOT NEWS FLASH and/or Current News
Early next year Rich Maginn and his students will be presenting an
Internet / Worldwide Web hands on workshop using the Smoky Hill network.
This will be available to anyone who cares to attend that particular CLUE
meeting. There may be a donation requested to help Smoky Hill buy more
computer equipment, this has not yet been determined. More information to
come, stay tuned!
If you have any announcments or news for this section of the newsletter,
please send it to the editor, mark@wgs.com
- ------
Next Meeting Topic (Nov 9, 1995):
Originally we had scheduled an ISP (Internet Service Providor) to come in
and tell us how to get our Linux systems connected to an ISP, and give us
a deal on their services. They backed out of the presentation due to
internal problems and shall remain nameless. So instead, Mark Bolzern,
and the membership at large will pitch hit with the following presentation.
Linux at Work: Session Leader, Mark Bolzern
Linux is now in use virtually all Fortune 2000 companies, and yet
management for the most part still asks "What's Linux?"
The reason is as follows. Linux is so inexpensive, and so useful that
techies bring it in to get the Job done, whatever that is. In corporate
cuture it is easier to just do it, and apologize later than it is to get
permission.
Linux is following exactly the same acceptance model that the IBM PC
did in the early 80s. People bring a product into a company because
it helps them accomplish what they need to do. No one but immediate
co-workers know about it. Management generally is not told at all.
Then co-workers start seeing how useful it is, and use it too. Then
because of pressure from workers, immediate supervisors get involved
and departmental funds are used. Finally MIS and upper management
figure it out, and then are at a loss as to how to deal with it. This
is how corporate america is being overrun by Linux, because it is less
expensive, and more useful than what Microsoft has to offer. Like all
true revolutions, it is starting underground, among students, with the
rank and file people, and has only a few significantly visible leaders.
Just like the IBM PC set the open standard for hardware, Linux is in the
process of setting the open standard for the Operating Systems Level.
Mark participated materially in the release and acceptance of the IBM
PC, as well as being one of the founders of the Internet. Mark was
involved in writing the original ethernet packet protocols, and making
some of the original connections in the early 70s, and has continued
to participate ever since. A more complete biography, along with a
writeup on the siginficance of Linux is available in the file
ftp://ftp.wgs.com/pub2/wgs/lxsig.txt
After a short introduction, this will be an interactive session where
everyone is requested to bring, and tell their story about how they use
Linux at work. No one will be REQUIRED to speak, but all are REQUESTED
to give their "On Topic" input. Here are some questions to ponder before
the meeting.
How did the use of Linux get started at your office?
-Does Management know, and if so, how did you tell/convince them?
What is it being used for?
-How many people are using it?
Are the tasks Linux is being used for possible with other products?
How does it compare to other products that were tried, or could be tried
for the same tasks?
-Financially?
-Tech Support wise?
-General acceptance by management?
-Other factors?
We look forward to your comments and questions!
- ------
Coming in December:
The December Topic will be by Joe Anthony, and Doug Fowler Dec 21, 1995.
A student perspective on Linux at Smoky Hill, What it is used for, how it
fits, and how it benefits the Students now and in the future. The intention
is to remove potential fear of Linux for those who don't know Linux, and
bring greater appreciation of Linux to those that do know it.
- ------
Meeting Topics, Newsletter Articles:
We would like your ideas for presenters/speakers, and topics for both
Meeting presentations, and also Newsletter articles. Please help; supply
either or both for us. Volunteers are especially appreciated.
- ------
Notes from the last meeting held on October 19, 1995
From: Steve Martin <steve_martin@msmgate.mrg.uswest.com>
Presentation On Linux Distributions and Versions
by Steve Martin
These are the notes from the presentation that I gave on October 19th
about the different versions and distributions of Linux. The discussion
covered how the different Linux distributions differ, and how are they
are the same.
When discussing Linux one of the biggest points of confusion for the
beginning user is the subject of what version they are running. This
confusion usually happens because many users don't realize that they are
really talking about three different issues: the Linux kernel version, the
Linux distributions and the Linux distributors.
THE KERNEL
In Linux (as with all types of UNIX) the kernel is the binary file which is
responsible for booting the computer, handling the hardware interfaces, and
providing the distinctive services which all UNIX software expects to have
available. When Linus Torvalds and the people who created the Linux kernel
started working, it was decided that Linux should have a version numbering
scheme that helped users to understand what code was stable and what was not.
When we see a Linux kernel version number we usually see something like this:
1.2.11 The important number here is the middle number. If this number is odd,
such as version 1.3.10, then the kernel is what we refer to as a 'development'
kernel. That is to say that it is a kernel which is being worked on to add
new features and capabilities. The development kernels change virtually
every week, and the code is frequently not stable. The only people who are
interested in using these kernel versions would be developers who are working
on writing code for the kernel, or code which makes use of the latest
features, or people who have specific hardware which is only supported by
these new kernels. The last time I checked the 1.3.XX kernels were numbering
in the thirties (1.3.34), although this changes so rapidly that it is unlikely
to be the same when you read this.
Even numbered kernels, such as 1.2.8, are considered to be stable kernels.
These are considered to be the best versions to use for production or day to
day work. The only time a new version of a stable kernel is released is if
someone has discovered a bug that is so damaging that it must be fixed before
the next version of the development kernel is stabilized. Currently the latest
version of stable kernel is 1.2.13. It is not expected that another version
will be released in the near future. If you want to set up a Linux system
which will have few crashes if any, and run days on end without problems, I
suggest that you stick with one of these versions.
THE DISTRIBUTIONS
Linux distributions are collections of software which together make up an
entire system which can be run and used on a computer. Most of the
distributions include a version of the kernel, X windows, mail software and
hundreds of other utilities and applications. Examples of Linux distributions
are: Red Hat, Slackware, Debian, Yggdrasil and Bogus. Each of these
distributions are maintained by one or more people who are dedicated to
creating a complete UNIX like operating system for personal computers with
the Linux Kernel at its core. We will delve more into how they each differ,
but for now remember that each one has its own version numbers,
and these do not have anything to do with the kernel version number. For
instance, I am currently using the Slackware version 2.3 distribution.
On it I am using the Linux kernel version 1.2.13.
THE DISTRIBUTORS
Finally we get into the actual business side of Linux. The distributors are
those companies and/or organizations who make Linux available to the public
via the Internet or on CD-ROMS or Diskettes. In some cases the company names and
distribution names are one and the same. For instance, Red Hat is both a
distribution and the name of the organization who distributes Linux. Here is
a non-inclusive list of distributors and the distributions they provide:
Caldera Red Hat
InfoMagic Slackware
Red Hat Red Hat
Trans-Ameritech Slackware
Walnut Creek Slackware
WGS Red Hat on the primary CD,
Slackware & Debian on supplementary CDs
You notice right away that the major distributions are Red Hat and Slackware.
We will discuss those further in just a bit. Bear in mind that while Linux is
free, that does not mean it costs nothing to obtain it. Under the Gnu Public
License which covers Linux, companies may charge for the service of
distributing the software. Therefore, each one of these companies makes a
CD which they charge some amount for. What the word 'free' means for Linux
is that these companies may not tell you what you can do once you have Linux.
For instance, you can purchase one CD and then install Linux on as many
computers as you like. You can give it to a friend who may do the same, and
all is perfectly legal. You can not do the same with Windows '95 from
Microsoft.
A final note on distributions. Most of the companies who distribute Linux
do so on Multiple CD-ROMS. In fact, it is now common to get 4 CD's when you
purchase Linux. What is on all of these discs? In general they break down
into the following categories: a disc which contains the installer and all
of the software to do a complete installation of Linux on your computer, a
pair of discs which usually contain the complete archives of a couple of the
most popular Internet FTP sites (these usually include sunsite.unc.edu and
tsx-11.mit.edu), and one disk which actually contains other distributions of
Linux. For instance, if the first disc contains Red Hat Linux installer, the
last disk usually contains the installers for Slackware and Debian Linux.
So you are getting a heck of a lot of software for your money.
OK, so now you know the difference between a kernel, a distribution, and a
distributor. Which distribution is right for you? That, of course, is a
subjective question. However, we can look at each of the distributions and
see what kind of users they are aimed at to help us along.
RED HAT
Red Hat Linux seems to be mostly aimed at the production or professional user
who wants to get Linux up and running quickly, but doesn't want to spend a
lot of time learning the intricacies of UNIX configuration. Red Hat Linux
has a unique installation utility called the Red Hat Package Manager. With
this software, it is very simple to select a particular UNIX type software
package, say sendmail, and install it onto your computer. The Package Manager
has a handy graphical user interface which is run from X, making it very easy
to use. Recently Red Hat has stated that they are releasing the Package
Manager to the Linux Community in the hopes that other distributors will
start using this same mechanism to standardize the release and installation
of software for Linux.
Of the versions I tested, Red Hat Linux was the simplest and fastest to
install. There is a price, however. I found that I was presented with
very few options, and had very little information about what was being
installed on my computer. Once it was over, I found that most of the
software I wanted and expected was installed, but I like a little more
control in the entire process.
Companies like WorkGroup Solutions (WGS) use the Red Hat distribution and
make a point of the fact that they have gathered together software packages
which are very stable to be used in a production environment. In addition
The WGS distribution also includes everything found on other CD
distributions, and a nice big fat book that serves as the Manual.
SLACKWARE
Until recently, this was probably the most popular Linux distribution.
Slackware is maintained by one man, Patrick Volkerding. Whatever you see
distributed with the standard Slackware system is there because Patrick put
it there. On the other hand, Slackware comes with a lot of software
preconfigured and pre-compiled for Linux.
Installing Slackware is much more time consuming than Red Hat if it is done
right. The user is given literally hundreds of options with lots of
information about what each package being installed was there for. This
package is for the control freak who wants to fine tune the system with
just that software which is necessary.
InfoMagic makes use of Slackware for its Developers Resource CD's. This
distribution is aimed mainly at the UNIX guru and developer who already
knows a lot about how to set up UNIX and wants lots of utilities and
applications. Trans-Ameritech also uses Slackware. There latest release
called LinuxWare is specifically aimed at DOS/Windows users who want to
install Linux on their machines with a minimum of fuss.
DEBIAN
This was the only other distribution which I looked at. The folks who
maintain the Debian software are very candid about the fact that they
don't release new versions very often. The reason for this is that they
believe in releasing only stable code for people who want to set up
production Linux systems. The Debian distribution is released with the
smallest set of utilities of the main three I looked at.
There were no distributors that I could find who used Debian as thier
primary distribution.
CONCLUSION
Clearly I could go on for many more pages about the different distributions
of Linux, and what they mean. I hope that this brief introduction will be
helpful to people who are trying to make a decision about installing or
upgrading a Linux system.
A word about upgrading is necessary. To date, it is still not a trivial task
to upgrade versions of Linux on your system. Each of the distributions that
are currently available do not correctly handle the upgrading process. My
recommendation to you is to make sure you have complete backups of all of
your configuration and personal files before attempting to upgrade your
system.
This is not the case for the kernel. It is relatively simple and
straightforward to move from one version to another of the kernel with
little or no danger. However, as always, make a backup of important
data before proceeding.
WHAT NEXT
If you want more information, I highly recommend that you check out the
following WWW sites:
The Linux Home Page http://www.ssc.com/linux/linux.html
The Linux Infosheet http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/~garman/linux/linux-info.html
WGS Home Page http://www.wgs.com/
Red Hat Home Page http://www.redhat.com/
Sunsite ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux
- ----
After the presentation, as always there was an open question and answer
session, and then extensive socializing. Some consider this time the
most valuable portion of the meeting. Those of you who did not make it
to the meeting really missed out! See you next time!
==========================================================================
About this Meeting Notice/ Newsletter
This is the newsletter for the Colorado Linux Users and Enthusiasts (CLUE).
This Newsletter will be written and sent out every month prior to the CLUE
meeting. You may, and in fact are encouraged to make copies of this
newsletter, and E-Mail, Post, Send, it to anyone you like. Please send it
to friends, post it on BBS, and physical bulletin boards at your school,
office, computer stores, bookstores, etc. Help CLUE grow. Please repost
this newsletter, or just the meeting notice. Possible posting locations
could also include any internet newsgroups you participate in where
interest in Linux may reside. If this newsletter or knowledge of CLUE
don't exist where you are looking, put it there! We can use all the help
we can get.
Credits:
CLUE is currently sponsored by Smoky Hill High School Linux Students, and
WorkGroup Solutions, Inc. Users of any flavor of Linux, or just anyone with
interest in Linux is welcome to attend. There are currently no dues, no
membership fees, and no cost to attend meetings.
Donations of Hardware are appreciated by Smoky Hill High School, and are
tax deductible. So if your company is upgrading depreciated 386 or higher
PC hardware, think of the Linux group at Smoky Hill! Contact Rich Maginn
at rich@stega.smoky.ccsd.k12.co.us if you have any hardware to donate.
Officers of CLUE:
President Steve Martin smartin@mrg.uswest.com
Newsletter Editor Mark Bolzern mark@wgs.com
Librarian Joel Noble joel_noble@msmgate.mrg.uswest.com
Other officers to be determined if and when they are elected/volunteer
or are conscripted.
This is your newsletter, please submit material!
========================================================================
Following are community service items, to have your item posted,
please email it to mark@wgs.com There is presently no cost for
this service, but eventually there will be, to help finance CLUE
- ----
Job Announcements:
WorkGroup Solutions; We are always looking for additional employees as we
grow. Our primary need at the moment is a top salesperson who has experience
in the bookstore and/or software sales. Must have existing high level contacts
in the computer industry. We have added on the average a new person about
once a month for the last year. We need resumes from people for the following
areas: Sales both outbound & phone, data entry, technical support, Product
assembly-packing-shipping, graphic design, bookkeeping, and more. Typing
skills & Linux knowledge a plus.
If you'd like to work for a fast growing company small enough to be like a
family, then please send your resume to mark@wgs.com
- ----
Linux Consultants for hire in Colorado:
David Martin, david@large.com 303-680-8207
- ----
Items for sale:
none at this time, please submit some!
- ----
Items wanted:
none at this time, please submit some!
- --
Mark Bolzern : mark@wgs.com USA Tel: 303-699-7470 Fax: 303-699-2793
WorkGroup Solutions, Inc. The FlagShip "CA-Clipper and XBase on Unix" People
No Runtime Fees. Info at ftp.wgs.com/pub2/wgs/Filelist OR mail: info@wgs.com
Try WGS Linux Pro! Commercial Linux on CD for $19.95, 4CD Set&1200pg Manual $69
- --
Mark Bolzern : mark@wgs.com USA Tel: 303-699-7470 Fax: 303-699-2793
WorkGroup Solutions, Inc. The FlagShip "CA-Clipper and XBase on Unix" People
No Runtime Fees. Info at ftp.wgs.com/pub2/wgs/Filelist OR mail: info@wgs.com
Try WGS Linux Pro! Commercial Linux on CD for $19.95, 4CD Set&1200pg Manual $69
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