April 2007 - Roundtable

Shaw Internet going away
by Bill Reid 29 May '07

29 May '07

There have been a number of posts about the problems of Shaw Internet going away. It is not clear what the problem is and when Trevor and starting runing scripts which did pings, etc. the problem went away for me. I was installing a new server and of course the MAC address is different. When I powered cycled the cable modem it still would not allow my MAC address to communicate. After fighting this for a while I phoned Shaw tech support. I having the modem reset, etc. I guess the tech went away to consult. It turns out that the arp cache is not updated continuously and is cleared every 4 hours. So a MAC IP pairing hangs around for a while. This potentially could cause the problems I was seeing if someone was using my IP address. It seems a bit far fetched but not updating the arp cache could lead to problems that correct themselves when the cache is clear. My solution was to clone the old server MAC address. This will become standard procedure since if you want to go back to the old server you do not want to wait 4 hours. Of course this is really only a problem with static IPs since if you do a dhcp renew you should get a new IP address. -- Bill

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MUUG Meeting, May 8, 7:30pm -- Gordon Meyer's Smart Home Hacks
by gedetil＠cs.umanitoba.ca 24 Apr '07

24 Apr '07

The Manitoba UNIX User Group (MUUG) will be holding its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 8. The meeting topic for this month is as follows: Gordon Meyer's Smart Home Hacks Learn how to put your computer to work around the house. Gordon's presentation will get you started with the basics of do-it-yourself home automation, then cover the most practical, fun, and interesting techniques culled from around the globe. Drawn from the best of "Smart Home Hacks", you're sure to find at least one that suits your lifestyle. If you're new to home automation, you'll get on the fast track to the most useful methods. If you're an old hand, you'll leave with tips and inspiration for upgrading your home. Gordon Meyer is a Chicago-based writer and speaker who has authored dozens of software manuals, numerous articles for computer users and technical writers, and O'Reilly's "Smart Home Hacks", a leading book on do-it-yourself home automation techniques. Gordon, an amateur magician and a frequent speaker at technical conferences, touts a practical, lighthearted, and humanized approach to integrating technology with daily life. ********************************************************************** Meeting Location: For this month only, the meeting will be held at the Millennium Library, in the Carol Shields Auditorium (on the second floor). The Millennium Library is at the corner of Graham Ave. and Donald St. (251 Donald St.) Parking is $5 for the evening in the Library's underground lot, and $2-$5 elsewhere in the area. Meeting time is 7:30pm, as usual. ********************************************************************** Spread the Word... We're sending this announcement out early, to give people a chance to pass the word along, or invite others to join us for this special meeting. You can help promote this month's meeting, by putting this poster up on your workplace bulletin board, or a similar visible spot... http://www.muug.mb.ca/meetings/MUUGmeeting.pdf The group holds its general meetings at 7:30pm on the second Tuesday of every month from September to June. (There are no meetings in July and August.) Meetings are open to the general public; you don't have to be a MUUG member to attend. For more information about MUUG, and its monthly meetings, check out their Web server: http://www.muug.mb.ca/ -- Gilbert E. Detillieux E-mail: <gedetil(a)muug.mb.ca> Manitoba UNIX User Group Web: http://www.muug.mb.ca/ PO Box 130 St-Boniface Phone: (204)474-8161 Winnipeg MB CANADA R2H 3B4 Fax: (204)474-7609

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sponsor Indy 500 race car and logo design contest
by Gilles Detillieux 23 Apr '07

23 Apr '07

Thought this might interest some of you... http://tux500.com/ http://tux500.com/contest.php -- Gilles R. Detillieux E-mail: <grdetil(a)scrc.umanitoba.ca> Spinal Cord Research Centre WWW: http://www.scrc.umanitoba.ca/ Dept. Physiology, U. of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3E 3J7 (Canada)

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Feisty is out out out! Anyone want to meet for Beers/CD's?
by Scott Balneaves 20 Apr '07

20 Apr '07

I'll be torrenting u/ku/edu/xubuntu tonight, anyone want to get together for a brew at an appropriate venue Friday or Saturday? I'll hand out free cd's! Heck, might even have a free sticker or two! Anyone interested? Post to the list!! Scott -- Scott L. Balneaves | "Eternity is a very long time, Systems Department | especially towards the end." Legal Aid Manitoba | -- Woody Allen

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Zaurus podcast #2
by Montana Quiring 19 Apr '07

19 Apr '07

We recorded our second podcast on the weekend and it's available now if your interested: http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/?q=tycast Announcement of this issue can be found here, if interested: http://www.tyrannozaurus.com/?q=node/704 If you are using iTunes, you can click here to subscribe: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=219214014 -Montana

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COBOL on Linux
by John Lange 09 Apr '07

09 Apr '07

Does anyone have experience migrating legacy COBOL applications to Linux? Just looking for some general advice on what generally needs to be done to accomplish this. Thanks, John

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MUUG Meeting, April 10, 7:30pm -- Things you can do with 'Embedded' Devices
by gedetil＠cs.umanitoba.ca 03 Apr '07

03 Apr '07

The Manitoba UNIX User Group (MUUG) will be holding its next monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 10. The meeting topic for this month is as follows: Things you can do with 'Embedded' Devices The Linksys WRT54G is probably one of the most popular consumer routers around, but for unlikely reasons. Linksys had decided to use Linux as the operating system inside. Linux and hardware hackers around the world started poking around inside. Shawn Wallbridge will be talking about various embedded devices that can be used in interesting ways. The group holds its general meetings at 7:30pm on the second Tuesday of every month from September to June. (There are no meetings in July and August.) Meetings are open to the general public; you don't have to be a MUUG member to attend. ********************************************************************** Please note our meeting location: The IBM offices, at 400 Ellice Ave. (between Edmonton and Kennedy). When you arrive, you will have to sign in at the reception desk, and then wait for someone to take you (in groups) to the meeting room. Please try to arrive by about 7:15pm, so the meeting can start promptly at 7:30pm. Don't be late, or you may not get in. (But don't come too early either, since security may not be there to let you in before 7:15 or so.) Non-members may be required to show photo ID at the security desk. Limited parking is available for free on the street, either on Ellice Ave. or on some of the intersecting streets. Indoor parking is also available nearby, at Portage Place, for $3.00 for the evening. Bicycle parking is available in a bike rack under video surveillance located behind the building on Webb Place. ********************************************************************** For more information about MUUG, and its monthly meetings, check out their Web server: http://www.muug.mb.ca/ Also note that MUUG maintains two mailing lists, called "muug-announce" and "roundtable". If you're not already on these lists, we encourage you to subscribe now: http://www.muug.mb.ca/mailman/listinfo/ The "muug-announce" list is used for monthly meeting announcements (such as this one) as well as other important announcements of interest to MUUG members. The "rountable" list is meant to be a forum for follow-ups to topics discussed at the meetings, or for round-table-style discussion on other topics that come up between meetings. Of course, for this to be effective, we need to reach a certain critical mass. So, please subscribe, and stay involved! -- Gilbert E. Detillieux E-mail: <gedetil(a)muug.mb.ca> Manitoba UNIX User Group Web: http://www.muug.mb.ca/ PO Box 130 St-Boniface Phone: (204)474-8161 Winnipeg MB CANADA R2H 3B4 Fax: (204)474-7609

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