[BLUG] Take me out to the LinuxFest!

Well, we're taking off.

See you all in Columbus!

Simón

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Re: [BLUG] Are source based distributions better for servers?

>> How do you personally handle needing to install software with custom
>> command line options in something like Redhat?
>
> Use "apt-get source <package>".

don't forget to `apt-get build-dep <package>` which automatically gets
everything you need to compile said source package. yeah baby!
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Re: [BLUG] LPI certs (was: C/C++)

On 9/17/07, Steven Black <blacks@indiana.edu> wrote:
> This shouldn't be that surprising. Red Hat was one of the first
> Linux distributions to push for certification exams, and IIRC the
> first Linux-related certs were all Red Hat Linux certs.

Not surprising, I was just balancing Michael's comment about his hat
of being a Debian developer. ;-)

The LPI exam requires a relatively broad basic understanding of Linux
in it's many flavors. Though I have been "brought up", so to speak, on
Debian, and specifically Debian's child Ubuntu, the LPI exam won't let
me get away with claiming a familiarity with "Linux" unless I
demonstrate a solid basic understanding of how to work with Red Hat
and it's children as well.

Simón

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Re: [BLUG] Are source based distributions better for servers?

On Mon, Sep 17, 2007 at 12:46:32PM -0400, Joe Auty wrote:
> Steven,
>
> How do you personally handle needing to install software with custom
> command line options in something like Redhat?

I don't know about RedHat. I do know about Debian.

In Debian there are a couple of options. My perferred option would probably
be:

Use "apt-get source <package>". Edit debian/control to change the name
of the package. Set a "Provides:" line to the original name of the package.
(Any package depending on the original package will be happy with this one.)
Set a "Conflicts:" line to the name of the original package. (You can not
have both packages installed at once.)

Then you can make configure-time changes in debian/rules. (Search for
"configure". It will either be in a "configure" section, or in the "build"
section.)

You may want to create a patch file so you can apply this change in the
future, when a new version is released.

Then it is a matter of creating the new package. I usually just use
"fakeroot ./debian/rules binary" but then I don't usually worry about
creating source packages.

Note: This is based upon my believing that you wanted to use custom
command-line options to configure the product. If you're talking about
run-time options, then for services, they would typically be handled with
a configuration file in /etc/default which is referenced by the init
script located in /etc/init.d.

Cheers,
Steven Black

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Re: [BLUG] Are source based distributions better for servers?

On Mon, Sep 17, 2007 at 12:41:13PM -0400, Gaddis, Jeremy L. wrote:
> Steven Black wrote:
> > Personally, I think source-based distributions are a step
> > backward. [...]
>
> I don't think I could make a blanket statement like that. If we were
> talking about Slackware, yes, I'd say it's a step backwards. I wouldn't
> say the same for Gentoo, however (or even FreeBSD).

You are correct. On a machine with plenty of resources, with a full source
tree in hand and decent package management source-based solutions could be
better than a binary-based solution.

Without decent package management, a source-based solution is just total
crap (except for the learning experience). I think I've seen too many bad
binary package management systems to expect much from a package management
system for a source-based solution. I know I've done too much maintenance
on that old Solaris box with GNU Stow to think a source-based solution would
be more fun than a binary one.

Also, unless you have a specific hardware upgrade path, and the financial
resources to make that hardware upgrade path a reality, any source-based
solution runs the risk of running out of system resources to keep it a
viable alternative to its binary competition. You can find yourself in a
state where due to increased customer demand you no longer have the hardware
resources you once had and then big compiles become more and more noticable
to your end users.

In any sort of constrained resource environment, binary packages can be
a great help. I tend treat all my systems like they'll be constrained
resource environments before I'm through with them. This has certainly
always been the case for my home machines.

> I have been (was) a fan of Debian for years. The Debian Project seems
> to be falling apart, however, due to all the politics. With Debian you
> have your choice of rock-solid software that's a few years old, or
> bleeding-edge software that can potentially (and will, eventually) hose
> your system.

Yes, this is the same reason I started looking at alternatives to
Debian several years back.

I must admit I've not used Red Hat in 10+ years. (Back before RPMs
had dependancy support, and the recommended upgrade procedure was
to -- at best -- boot to a CD to upgrade, or at worst to backup
your data and install from scratch. This was when after an RPM
install you always had to manually configure every package as there
was no easy install time configuration for anything. This was back
when Red Hat arbitrarily changed names and install paths of installed
compontents between revisions while seemingly trying to avoid growing
standards.) I know RHEL is very popular. My distaste for them isn't
something that has any sort of current foundation, and may well not
even have any sort of valid foundation at this time.

It is counter-productive to the Debian community to run Debian
sid/unstable. You can do it if you're an active Debian developer,
but any random user that does it only slows progress. The
overwhelming number of people who do it are hurting the product,
and are responsible for the slow progress toward new stable
releases.

That being said, I like to use up-to-date software and try out new
software features like the next person. I like software to be updated
regularly. I like software to be stable, even if I don't get the
latest software right when it comes out.

I've been very happy with Ubuntu. The Debian framework has a history
of smooth, painless upgrades. Ubuntu has releases regularly, so I get
new software when it is ready, even if it isn't immediately after it
is released. The Ubuntu folks are focused on the enterprise market,
and features specially suited for that market will only increase as
time goes on. (For instance, they're working on a product to compete
with RHN.)

Cheers,
Steven Black

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Re: [BLUG] LPI exams (was C++)

On 9/17/07, Steven Black <blacks@indiana.edu> wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 15, 2007 at 02:13:01PM -0400, Simón Ruiz wrote:
> > I'm going through O'Reilly's "LPI Linux Ceritification in a nutshell"
> > and, indeed, man pages. I'll also be taking the "LPI Cram Session"
> > class at the "Ohio LinuxFest University" two days before the exam.
>
> Perhaps I'll see you at the Ohio LinuxFest.

Heck yeah!

I'll be one of the people walking around in an "Ubuntu Indiana Local
Community" T-shirt <http://www.cafepress.com/inloco - thanks to Ana
and Michael>. I've chopped off the long hair, though, so don't be
looking for a ponytail ;-).

We [the Ubuntu Indiana LoCo Team that is] are meeting up for lunch,
and you're welcome to join us. All of you who are going are.

I'm particularly looking forward to maddog's presentation, "Computing
Off the Grid" though why he isn't a keynote speaker is beyond me. Poor
people speaking opposite him will probably have tiny audiences—though
that isn't necessarily a bad thing for them I suppose...and that
Python one that's going on opposite him really piqued my interest,
too...too bad.

> With regards to the LPI, I don't know if most folks are aware, but
> the Ubuntu certification leans heavily upon the LPI exams. Basically,
> it is just one final Ubuntu-specific exam after taking the two LPI
> exams.

Yeah, I read that much on the LPI and Ubuntu pages. I'll probably look
at that after I get my level ones out of the way—they should be cake
after that, I'm guessing, since I actually use Ubuntu on a daily basis
both at work and at home.

> I've not taken the LPI exams (yet). However, I have taken the MySQL
> exams.
>
> While I also had a knack for standardized tests in school, my
> experience of certification exams is that well, they're virtually
> nothing like school exams. Expect no stupid clearly wrong answers.
> Expect most of the questions to have only almost-correct answers.
> Expect more questions which explicitly have more than one correct
> answer. ("Which of the following are correct?" Answers are attached
> to checkboxes, not a radio buttons.)

Cool, well, I appreciate the heads up. I'll take all the
intelligence/advice I can get.

> Cheers,
> Steven Black

Cheers,
Simón

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Re: [BLUG] Kino uses vi movement keys

Also, Gmail uses vi keys, at least for going up and down the list of
e-mail j == down and k == up.

I don't know much else on Gmail except for o == open, # == delete, x
== checkbox, y == archive, r == reply, a == reply all and I don't know
whether they try to match stuff up with vi where possible.

It's much faster to use the keyboard shortcuts in Gmail than mousing
everywhere...as is typical of keyboard shortcuts...

Simón

On 9/16/07, Mark Krenz <mark@slugbug.org> wrote:
>
> One thing I forgot about and forgot to mention during my presentation
> is that Kino actually uses vi movement keys and commands for editing.
> So h and l take you back and forth frame by frame and stuff like Ctrl+j
> will split a scene at the current frame and Shift Ctrl j joins then back
> together. So this is another reason why Kino was related to vi and also
> a good reason to learn the vi keys.
>
>

http://www.kinodv.org/docbook/
>
> So if you wanted to, you could do almost all of your video editing
> with just your keyboard.
>
>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oVeBIrJMPg
>
>
>
> --
> Mark Krenz
> Bloomington Linux Users Group
> http://www.bloomingtonlinux.org/
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>

--
-Simón A. Ruiz

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