- Roundtable - muug.ca

High-expectations Linux
by Kat 29 Aug '15

29 Aug '15

Something tells me this guy is one of "those" gamers. Suicide Linux package <http://sourceforge.net/projects/suicide-linux/files/> -- ------------------------------------------------------------ Katherine Scrupa Network Technology CCNA, Hons.

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Nerds vs. normals: The two solitudes of tech | rabble.ca
by Bill Reid 14 Aug '15

14 Aug '15

This article had me nodding, Yup. http://rabble.ca/columnists/2015/08/nerds-vs-normals-two-solitudes-tech Enjoy, Bill

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Re: [RndTbl] Roundtable Digest, Vol 127, Issue 4
by uniquegeek＠gmail.com 12 Jul '15

12 Jul '15

Maybe it was resold from a movie set. Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network. Original Message From: roundtable-request(a)muug.mb.ca Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2015 4:53 PM To: roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca Reply To: roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca Subject: Roundtable Digest, Vol 127, Issue 4 Send Roundtable mailing list submissions to roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to roundtable-request(a)muug.mb.ca You can reach the person managing the list at roundtable-owner(a)muug.mb.ca When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Roundtable digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Sun making users feel better through fakery (Adam Thompson) 2. Re: Sun making users feel better through fakery (Daryl F) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2015 14:26:36 -0500 From: Adam Thompson <athompson(a)avant.ca> To: roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca Subject: [RndTbl] Sun making users feel better through fakery Message-ID: <CAFGv8b-XwnLpFM6VFcuJ+3_guvvZ_3OtT2_6XMKiCOdw8fRZ7g(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" I have a Sun Storage Array 7110. This is an "integrated" appliance, running custom hardware and custom software. In the configuration GUI, on the page where I configure the 4 gigabit network ports, there are - as with everything else in the GUI - visual aids. In this case, there are schematic-style icons of four network ports on the left-hand side of the page, with little green and yellow indicators for link and traffic respectively. I know the green dots actually track the green LEDs on the back of the chassis, i.e. they do show actual link status in (near-)real-time. However, the yellow dots also flicker in a manner than *might* reflect the physical LEDs... but I was never sure. [image: Inline image 1] Today, while doing some unrelated maintenance on the unit, I got curious and dug in. I found this in the page's javascript: akNetDevice.prototype.setActivity = function (active) > { var dev = this; > for (var i = 0; i < this.akno_widgets.length; i++) this.akno_widgets[i].setActivity(active); > this.akno_timeout = setTimeout(function () { if (dev.akno_timeout) dev.setActivity(!active); }, 100 + Math.random() * (active ? akNet.DEVICE_FLICKER_ON : akNet.DEVICE_FLICKER_OFF)); };? *Despite* having found this, the flickering yellow dots *STILL* give me a sense of satisfaction, a vague notion that "oh, OK, the network ports are working"! Someone at Sun actually listened to a UI designer, it would seem. And yet I now also feel cheated - I was hoping the UI team was geeky enough to actually flash the browser window graphics in time with the hardware :). [image: Avant logo] *Adam Thompson* Senior Systems Administrator *voice:* 204.789.9596 x24 | *email:* athompson(a)avant.ca | *web:* avant.ca

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Sun making users feel better through fakery
by Adam Thompson 11 Jul '15

11 Jul '15

I have a Sun Storage Array 7110. This is an "integrated" appliance, running custom hardware and custom software. In the configuration GUI, on the page where I configure the 4 gigabit network ports, there are - as with everything else in the GUI - visual aids. In this case, there are schematic-style icons of four network ports on the left-hand side of the page, with little green and yellow indicators for link and traffic respectively. I know the green dots actually track the green LEDs on the back of the chassis, i.e. they do show actual link status in (near-)real-time. However, the yellow dots also flicker in a manner than *might* reflect the physical LEDs... but I was never sure. [image: Inline image 1] Today, while doing some unrelated maintenance on the unit, I got curious and dug in. I found this in the page's javascript: akNetDevice.prototype.setActivity = function (active) > { var dev = this; > for (var i = 0; i < this.akno_widgets.length; i++) this.akno_widgets[i].setActivity(active); > this.akno_timeout = setTimeout(function () { if (dev.akno_timeout) dev.setActivity(!active); }, 100 + Math.random() * (active ? akNet.DEVICE_FLICKER_ON : akNet.DEVICE_FLICKER_OFF)); }; *Despite* having found this, the flickering yellow dots *STILL* give me a sense of satisfaction, a vague notion that "oh, OK, the network ports are working"! Someone at Sun actually listened to a UI designer, it would seem. And yet I now also feel cheated - I was hoping the UI team was geeky enough to actually flash the browser window graphics in time with the hardware :). [image: Avant logo] *Adam Thompson* Senior Systems Administrator *voice:* 204.789.9596 x24 | *email:* athompson(a)avant.ca | *web:* avant.ca

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SCSI cable length
by Trevor Cordes 04 Jul '15

04 Jul '15

I have an external SCSI device that I'd like to plug in on a 10-15' cable. The device has a standard dense 50-pin 2-row connector. I thought at first that meant for sure LVD, but now I'm thinking it just means ultra. I need LVD to get over 1.5M cable length, according to spec. LVD lets me go to 12M it appears. If it's just ultra then I'm SOL, I guess. Is there a way to know what signalling this device uses based just on the connector? I checked all available interent specs, incl the original manual, for the device and *nothing* specifies anything other than "SCSI". I'm a big SCSI guy, but my memory on the subject is starting to get hazy due to disuse...

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Replacement batteries for APC, CyberPower, etc.
by Hartmut W Sager 29 Jun '15

29 Jun '15

Yikes! My 3 dead APC UPS's (dead batteries, that is) have battery replacement costs of $120 each (plus exhorbitant shipping charge on heavy lead-acid). Is there anywhere in Winnipeg where I can get replacement batteries (original or compatible) for a reasonable price, and without individual shipping charge? Also, do any other brands, like CyberPower, have any better policies/arrangements for replacement batteries? Hartmut W Sager - Tel +1-204-339-8331, +1-204-515-1701

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Replacement batteries for APC, CyberPower, etc.
by jd 25 Jun '15

25 Jun '15

Hey, Hartmut & Bill & MUUG The Battery Man does carry a surprisingly (remarkably) thorough stock, and, for that, deserves our custom. Alexander Battery in Mississauga is no longer go-to, for odd batteries. However, if budget is constrained, consider: Prairie Battery 1280 Border St - 633-3500 PB's Brandon office has served me well, through a couple of marquee changes over almost 3 decades, for everything from ancient Israeli Tadiran 3.6v blocks for 486 & earlyP1 mbrds (at less than half wholesale, in the day), to the ubiquitous cr2032 (mbrd cmos) buttons (at ok price 5-per card), and, yes, onward to the gel-cel bricks, at comfortable pricing. These latter are likely the ones you seek, and they usually stock standard-industry rated and medical-app rated versions of the much-more-common gel-bricks. If indeed you are needing messy (liquid) lead-acid .. PB's still good. But I will bet you a cruller you may only need sealed gel cel units. It should go without saying, but some UPS battery layouts are worth a photo at EVERY step of dis-assembly, for the short&long jumpers, to NOTE POLARITY. Ask for a PB "trade account" and get [even] better pricing, if you expect to do ongoing (volume of) battery business. PB may not always have the APC (or other Mfg's) cross-reference "in their system" .. but JUST HAUL IN ANY SPECIMEN, and you will be directed to stock on-the-shelf, for at least one candidate to match. If you believe your model to be (spillable) lead-acid, CdnTire sells acid-tolerant trays for not-so-much$, to show PB the model. Due to friendly pricing, I've been able to quote 1yr or 2yr proactive switch-out contracts, at reasonable prices. Those (not necessarily expired, in this schedule) retired gel-cels, taken out, may be kept onsite (no acid-gas off the SEALED gel-types). Lead-acid should be taken off-site immediately, to appropriate disposal. Even though most common (<1500va) UPS replacement batteries are (non-spill caution) gel-types, surcharges may STILL apply for ANY shipping, so I would vote you just pick them up from the storefront on Border. No special tray needed for transporting gels. In any case, pack them forward in the trunk, for the inevitable gotta-brake in traffic. smiles, John D On 15-06-24 12:00 PM, roundtable-request(a)muug.mb.ca wrote: > Send Roundtable mailing list submissions to > roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > roundtable-request(a)muug.mb.ca > > You can reach the person managing the list at > roundtable-owner(a)muug.mb.ca > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Roundtable digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Replacement batteries for APC, CyberPower, etc. (Bill Reid) > > > _______________________________________________ > Roundtable mailing list > Roundtable(a)muug.mb.ca > http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/roundtable

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Finally, a use for "sudo su -" !
by Adam Thompson 23 Jun '15

23 Jun '15

I finally found a legitimate use for "sudo su -", which is otherwise a redundant construct (juse use "sudo -i" instead). http://askubuntu.com/questions/161924/how-do-i-set-persistent-environment-v… Sudo cleans the environment, but fails to re-read /etc/environment. Su(8) does, when invoked with "-", read /etc/environment. AFAIK, this is only a problem on Ubuntu (and possibly Debian etc., I haven't checked). [image: Avant logo] *Adam Thompson* Senior Systems Administrator *voice:* 204.789.9596 x24 | *email:* athompson(a)avant.ca | *web:* avant.ca

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If you like losing sleep over storage arrays...
by Adam Thompson 19 Jun '15

19 Jun '15

Wow... the numbers in this paper are surprising, to me, at least. https://www.usenix.org/conference/fast-08/analysis-data-corruption-storage-… Note that this research was presented at FAST '08, seven (7) years ago. Anecdotal evidence suggests the situation hasn't gotten much better - BERs have stayed pretty steady over that time AFAIK, but the size of disks has gone up. That means the likelihood of problems on any given disk has gone *up*. Ouch. -- -Adam Thompson athompso(a)athompso.net

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Browser not receiving entire certificate chain?
by Wyatt Zacharias 13 Jun '15

13 Jun '15

So we recently upgraded our SSL certificate to SHA256 to meet Google's new security policies, and now we're getting very isolated incidents where browsers do not trust the new certificate because the don't trust the CA that issued them. It first started from on a couple of our internal workstations but we now have a customer with the same issue. From what I can see, it looks like the browser is not seeing the first certificate in the chain, which is the Verisign root certificate, and then it doesn't trust the rest of the chain. Here's what our correct chain looks like: [image: Inline image 1] And here's what I see on the clients with the error: [image: Inline image 2] Could it be an issue on the Apache end, or maybe an obscure issue with Internet explorer? It's odd that I don't even see the first certificate in the chain marked as invalid, I just don't see a certificate at all. If anyone cares to give it try for themselves, https://www.mb.bluecross.ca let me know if you get an error. -- Wyatt Zacharias

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