Diary of a Network Geek

Does that mean, Novell servers?

When I read this news story on Forbes.com about how Gateway is going to be selling servers with SUSE Linux on them, it struck me as odd. First of all, Novell just announced that they were going to buy SUSE just a couple of weeks ago. Second, Gateway selling servers? Well, okay. I don’t think I’ve ever run one, but their PCs are okay. Third, just as everyone else seems to be dropping Linux support, SUSE and Gateway are just starting to push it.
Okay, so, I’m no pundit, but this seems a little strange to me. I mean, these guys aren’t neccessarily “top of the line” in the industry, but they’re not light-weights, either! I can’t put my finger on it, but there has to be something going on here that I’m missing. Is there some kind of behind-the-scenes deal going on? Did Novell know about this deal before they made their move? Did Novell orchestrate this deal? And, what the devil will it all mean to the industry? Will it mean anything? I don’t know, but I’ll be watching this as it develops!!

When are there going to be too many Linux distributions?

Not yet, apparently. According to this article on Wired News, Bruce Perens, an open-source “guru”, is backing a new Linux distro, called, UserLinux. Apparently, with Red Hat getting out of the user desktop business, Mr. Perens thinks there’s a real need for a good desktop distro. He, along with a number of Linux zealots, have been saying that Linux is making in-roads on the desktop for quite some time. But, so far, they have a dismally small percentage of the market.
Personally, I don’t think Linux will get anywhere with the general public until someone starts making real, consumer-grade applications for Linux. I thought we were getting somewhere when Corel released WordPerfect for Linux, but that was a dismal failure. Of course, it seems like just about everything Corel has done turns into a dismal failure. Except for, maybe, their drawing programs. In any case, until people can run Quicken and TurboTax and Print Shop and other programs like them on Linux, and get support for all of it, Linux will stay a server and geek tool. Now, I like Linux, but even I don’t run it as a desktop at home. I’m one of those people that need Quicken and TurboTax, though I can do with out PrintShop. And, I have other applications that only seem to be developed for Windows. So, I play with Linux and use it at work, but not for a desktop. Still I wish them luck. I’d sure like to see something compete with Windows!

Hey, did you know you can run PERL on Netware?

Yeah, it’s been there since Netware 4, actually, though no one really mentioned it at all until Netware 5. I started paying attention to that fact about two years ago when I started getting into PERL for my websites. But, now, it’s a default component in the standard install! So, why don’t I hear about anyone leveraging this? Well, I’m not sure about anyone else, but I intend to get some use out of PERL on my Netware servers.
Two weeks ago, I bought PERL for System Administration with the idea that I would use it, and code from the PERL Cookbook, to make my life easier. Why not, I thought, make a set of scripts that I can use or adapt for Linux, Netware and Windows? Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, we’ll see. I hope it’s a great idea, anyway. At the very least, I should be able learn a bunch more about PERL!
And, while I’m working on it, here’s a German site(in English) that has all kinds of scripts for PERL on Netware. Enjoy!

No, not just that early-morning vision problem, either.

Seriously, according to this article on MSN Health, caffeine can help ease muscle pain. So, it really is a good idea to “start your heart” with a cup of java before your workout. Or, your commute!
Go, drink your coffee and enjoy your Friday.

With subpoenas this time, not just FUD.

(That’s Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, by the way.) Well, according to this article on ZDNet, SCO has filed subpoenas with the U.S. District Court in Utah, targeting Novell; Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel; Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation; Stuart Cohen, chief executive of the Open Source Development Labs; and John Horsley, general counsel of Transmeta.
The article said that IBM responded to the Linux-related lawsuit by asking a federal judge to order SCO to identify illegal source code and serving four other companies with subpoenas of its own. Though it wasn’t clear if they filed before or after SCO. In either case, I hope this gets resolved soon. I’m tired of hearing about it and anyone who knows Linux knows that they have no leg to stand on. Oh, well, at least it gets Linux in the news….

With the mobile infrared transmitter!

Okay, all jokes aside, this scares me. I read an article on the Detroit News about this little box that changes traffic lights. Yeah, that’s right, just like in _The Fast and Furious_. And, yes, you can, in fact, buy them on the Internet. For instance, at MIRT, the Traffic Light Control Device. Frankly, I think you should have to provide proof that you’re an emergency department of some kind before they’re allowed to sell this to you, but that’s apparently not how it is right now. So, go, tell your local government about this and get them out-lawed for the regular public. Get this safety hazzard off the street.

Time to brush up your security skills!

And, NMRC, Nomad Mobile Research Centre, is the place to do it. At least, for Novell it is.
Simple Nomad has been around for a long, long time and is one of the few hackers pounding at Novell security to make sure it’s good. He has a great website and killer tools to check your systems with, not to mention recover passwords “lost” by disgruntled former admins. But, lately, he’s also had articles on security and been adding Windoze and Unix security stuff, too. I have to admit, it’s been a little bit since I visited NMRC and I was pleasantly surprised at the progress that’s been made.
If you’re worried about network security, NMRC is a site to add to your list of links!

You know, I’m not sure…

Look through my resume and you’ll see that I’ve had quite a few titles: MIS Analyst, MIS Systems Analyst, Network Administrator, Senior Network Engineer, Supervisor of LAN/Desktop Support, and, now, I think, Systems Engineer. All those titles and I’ve always done the same basic thing. Go figure.
That’s why I coded up this little beauty: The Amazing Information Technology Title Generator. Give it a whirl and fill in the “blanks” on your resume. I doubt anyone would know the difference.

Really, I just get nostolgic about this little script. It was the first PERL I coded all by myself. Just between you and me? It’s a mess. But, it still runs well enough. Enjoy!