CUUG FAQhttp://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/faq/faq.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)
Last updated: Sunday, September, 10, 1994 (PM)
I will be updating this document as time permits to correct
errors and add new information. Keep checking periodically
for topics which are of interest to you.
Mike
help@cuug.ab.ca
HTML Version hacked together by zimmerm@cuug.ab.ca.
The HTML version may differ slightly in some places from the original text
version of the FAQ. This is due to the occasional editing done for display
purposes.
Note: You can search for items within this document by pressing '/' at any
time, or you may wish to use one of either the Quick-Index
or the Full Index.
=-=-=-=-=
The first Question:
Q: What does FAQ stand for?
A: Frequently Asked Questions. This file is a compilation of many of the
more frequently asked questions about the CUUG system. READ IT! It will
save you a LOT of time in the long run! (I respond quickly but...)
=-=-=-=-=
Quick FAQ IndexTopical:
General CUUG:
UUCP:
Waffle:
E-Mail:
News:
Downloading/Uploading:
FTP:
WWW/Gopher/Lynx/Mosaic:
SIG:
Misc:
Lingo:
All new items are marked with an astrix "*" beside the "Q:"
=-=-=-=-=
Introducing: help@cuug.ab.ca
Should you have any questions about CUUG, the network in
general, UNIX, commands, general UUCP, or anything else
feel free to jot it down and send it along. I will endevour
to answer your questions (or forward it along to a "more
qualified" person) as fast as possible.
This feature is not intended to replace the reporting of problems
to cuug.bugs, just provide an alternative means of getting help
with our system (most people learn how to use mail before they
figure out how to use Pnews). It also provides a means by which
you can obtain help via a UUCP connection.
A: The RS6000 machine that is the IBM just isn't powerful enough right
now to provide both the mail services it does and allow users to run
processor intensive applications. We felt that it would be best to
not allow news on that machine and have the mail work properly then
have everything run on that machine and have flacky mail.
Of course, if you can't get in on the modems... Call Lisa at
265-2289. If he can't answer your questions, he will pass you
along to me (give you my phone number).
Ask away! (I'll do my best!)
Mike Hogan
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
(If you have additions/corrections etc. please mail them to help@cuug.ab.ca)
Topical:
Q:*I read about CUUG in the CIPS newsletter. How do I find out which CIPS
members are on the system?
A: I'm one! To date, I'm unaware of many others though. You might want to
contact the member whose address is listed in the Newsletter directly.
Maybe someone can start a CIPS SIG...
Q: I noticed in the CIPS article that some of the documents are out of date
or don't contain some necessary details. Are you going to fix this?
A: A good portion of this has been done. It's hard to keep up with all of
the documents on the system so until someone reminds me that something
is out of date.... all I can say is... I try! ;)
Q:*Is there any documentation for New Users?
A: Yes. It's all located in /archive/NewUser "cd /archive/NewUser should
get you there (remember, UNIX is case sensitive so you have to type in
the command as it is shown). If you have problems reading it try
"more filename" where filename is the name of the file you want to
read (i.e. more mail-intro).
Q: Whenever I try and use a program on CUUG it comes back with an error
about terminal emulation or something. Is something broke?
A: This is a common error for people using the "c rlogin machine" sequence.
To correct it add "set term=vt100" as the first line in your .cshrc
file and then re-log in.
Q:*Does CUUG support SLIP/PPP (yet)?
A: It's almost here. We will be adding a new terminal server in the very
near future and with it will come PPP. Sorry, no SLIP will be offered.
Q: I can't get into my account - my password doesn't work? Did you change
something? (read this for info on periodic password checks!)
A: I'm surprised that you are reading this if your password isn't working.
All passwords that are contained in a dictionary are NOT ALLOWED. We
will be checking for 'dictionary' passwords about once a month and
any accounts that have such passwords will be locked (without warning).
We are looking into a system where you will be told that your account
was locked due to in-valid password and hope to have it installed sometime
soon. REASON: We have inplemented this system to make CUUG a safer place
for all! We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Q: Do you have any suggestions one passwords I CAN use?
A: Here is what *I* personally suggest: 6 characters or more, combination
of two or more words, acronym for something, a word that has the vowels
removed, an alpha-numeric string (letters and numbers combined) or something
containing a special character like "_" "." etc.. Remember that on UNIX
upper and lowercase letters are different so the possibilities are endless!
Q:*I heard that the LINUX machine was going to be installed! When?
A: Done! Talk to Scott Barker (barkers) about accessing it.
Q:*I'm having big problems with uploading and downloading files on CUUG.
I'm using ... comm package on a (unix/vax/pc/mac) and it's giving me errors
- and what's even more annoying is that things are different on each
Terminal Server!
A: Vista> This terminal server will give you up to 900cps throughput no
matter what speed modem you use. You can only log in with the "c machine"
method. I suggest trying "sz -boe file" or "sz -bew 1536 file" when using
this terminal server for downloads.
A: GANDALF> or Local> This is the gandalf server. For better downloads use
the "c rlogin machine" method to connect to a machine along with "sz -boe
file" or "sz -bew 1536 file".
A: 2400 modems: A 2400 baud modem or a modem that doesn't support v.42 or
MNP5 doesn't seem to work well on the UDS (9600) modems as of late. Try
upping to the 14.4. modems you might have better luck.
A: Comm Pkg: If the problems persist, have a look at /archive/PD for the
tm*.zip files. Telemate is one of the more stable programs we have found.
I hope to have a copy of the newest Telix PD software added their sometime
soon as well.
A: High Speed Modems: If you are using a high-speed modem to download binary
files, try turning the data compression off (this works with some modems
for some reason).
A: SUN Users: The sun is used so much that there are a lot of errors incurred
due to that fact. I suggest that you try either the HP or DEC if you have
a lot of downloads to do.
Q: I'm new to modems. I have a 14400 modem and my Communication Package
doesn't have a setting for it. Am I limited to 9600?
A: No. With high speed modems you actually want to use a 19200 or higher
setting in you Comm Pkg. This will allow the best throughput with the
modem and data compression. If you have problems setting up your modem
send mail to "help@cuug.ab.ca" and I'll try and help you as best I can.
Q: I've noticed that the automounting with HP directories doesn't always
work. Is there someone I should tell when I notice it's broke?
A: If it persists for more than a day send mail to help@cuug.ab.ca otherwise
it will probably be fixed by the time I receive your mail. ;)
Q:*I understand that we have a new connection to the internet - is this why
I can seem to connect to the rest of the world like I used to? Who should
I report problems to?
A: We have ironed out most of the problems with the INSYNC connection. If
you have difficulties connection somewhere then try the following:
"nslookup sitename" (eg "nslookup hp.cuug.ab.ca). If nothing comes back
then the site isn't known to CUUG - you may have to get the IP address
for it (the number). As for reporting problems, you can post them into
cuug.bugs or send them to me at "help@cuug.ab.ca".
Q: What are the new numbers for the rotary dial? How does it work?
A: Well, assuming you are reading this when you have dialed in you know one
of the three numbers. The numbers are: 777-0132 (<=9600bps),
777-0144 (14.4Kbps), 777-0149 (16.8Kbps); UUCP only: 777-0130,
777-0131, and 777-0135. A warning about those UUCP numbers: If you get
caught on them with your regular account you could loose your account!
No warning provided. (There is a rumor going around that we have set up
security on these modems to accept only UUCP account names on them but
I haven't confirmed this yet and don't suggest you try).
They work in the following manner:
Start: Bump 1: Bump 2: Bump 3:
9600 -> 14400 -> 16800 -> busy
14400 -> 16800 -> 9600 -> busy
16800 -> 9600 -> 14400 -> busy
In essance, you can pick the speed you wish to start at but will
switch through all of the lines until one is free (or you get a busy
signal).
Q:*When I dial into the system the modem squeals and connects but there
is no response on the other end. What's up?
A: We have a problem with on of the modems on the system. I suggest that
if you connect to that modem twice in a row, try the next rotary number.
We are looking for the modem and will remove/replace it when we find it.
Q:*I keep sending mail to my friends around the net and they tell me that
my messages are cut off? Is there a reason for this.
A: Dollars to Donuts you are using Word Wrap on your Terminal Package and
forgetting to press return at the end of each line. On a number of
mail systems anything over 80 characters per line is cut off - whether
by the lack of word wrap in the mail reader or by the mail program
itself. SOLUTION: Turn off your word wrap unless you need it for
something and press return at the end of each line. I suggest that you
press return about one one inch from the right side of the screen.
Q:*The faq.doc was missing recently... any reason for this?
A: We were using a special method of updating several copies of it around
the systems all at once. I have removed this and added soft links to
the files instead. (If it goes missing again I'll kill someone).
Q:*When I do a finger on the system I only see my last name listed. Why
is this?
A: Well, someone kept bugging the powers that be for a better method of
having names in our password file. Our favorite admin let his guard
down and relented to doing this. HOWEVER, what the people that made
the request didn't know is that on any machine except the SUN (probably
the one that they log into all the time) the comma is a field separator.
This, therefor, causes only your last name to appear on a finger.
Q:*I dial in on the 777-0135 UUCP line and get nothing but ringing. What's
up?
A: That is a USR 14.4 modem and we know that it is having problems. We
are in the works of replacing it with a Telebit...
Q:*When I dial up I get a Login: prompt instead of a prompt where I can
enter "c machine". On top of this, when I log in I get stuck on the
IBM. Help!
A: We added a few modems on the Digiboard serial mux on the IBM. There
is nothing different on this connection except that it is directly
into the IBM (should improve downloads ;). To connect to another
machine once you have logged in type "rlogin machine".
Q:*Where can I find out information about current events at CUUG?
A: Look in the MOTD (Message of the Day). Information on events and
happenings at CUUG are posted there. You will also find info about
what's happening to the machines that may effect your use of the
internet. I suggest that you read it every time you log in.
Q:*I log into the IBM and try to read news and nothing works. Why?
A: The RS6000 machine that is the IBM just isn't powerful enough right
now to provide both the mail services it does and allow users to run
processor intensive applications. We felt that it would be best to
not allow news on that machine and have the mail work properly then
have everything run on that machine and have flacky mail.
Q:*I'm a new user to CUUG. What mail, news, and editor programs do you
recommend for me to learn on?
A: This isn't as easy as it sounds, suggesting programs for new users,
but here goes... MAIL: pine, NEWS: tin (I think), EDITOR: pico
REASONS: pine uses the pico editor for creating messages. Elm defaults
to the system editor which (I think) is still emacs (which is a horrid
editor for a new person to learn - not much worse than VI though).
I suggest TIN because it is a menu driven reader (I think - I use
something else that is a lot harder to learn ;). PICO because it is
a control-this, control-that editor - easy to learn.
Q:*I log into the system and get greek characters (^[1m etc.) when I
try and use things like more.
A: Very common. You are trying to use an ANSI terminal emulation when
you are connected to a machine that is using VT100. Change your comm
pkg to use VT100 and your problems will go away.
Q:*Is CUUG an ISP (internet service provider)?
A: In a nutshell, based on what a real ISP is, NO. We offer the services
but do not pay anyone to make sure that they stay up 100% of the time.
We run entirely on volunteers and loaned vendor equipment and (IMHO)
think we do a pretty good job of it! We have 800+ members now so
we must be doing something right!
Q:*I gave you something for the FAQ but it isn't here... I'm PEEVED!
A: Hold on! Let me explain! I updated my Linux box to 1.05 recently
but the mail was so buggy that I had to downgrade to 1.02 again to
get it working! I lost all of my mail including all of the great
suggestions! Mail them to me again please.
General CUUG:
Q: A friend of mine would like to join CUUG. Who should I contact?
A: Lisa at 265-2289 is the person to talk to. The minimum age
for CUUG membership is 18.
Q: Can I use an account for my entire family/office/multiple people?
A: No. One of the items that you agreed to when you signed on with CUUG
(remember that page they made you signed?) is that you WILL NOT share
your account with anyone. One account = One user. However, if you
set up a UUCP account you can use it to feed a SMALL number of users.
Q: What modem speeds does CUUG support and what Parity and databit settings
should I use? What are the numbers again?
A: 8N1 (8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit) works best but I understand
that some other configurations will work as well. As for the phone numbers,
777-0132 (<=9600bps), 777-0144 (14.4Kbps), and 777-0149 (16.8Kbps). All
of the 9600 lines are MNP5/v.32, the 14.4's are USRs with v.42bis/MNP5 etc.
and the 16.8's are Zyxels (fully loaded).
Q: What are the rules on the system here?
A: When you joined CUUG you signed a "Users Agreement" (actually its titled
CUUG Resource Centre Access Agreement). Contained within this document
are all the "rules" such as they are. The big ones, though, are
No Hacking the System, No Pirating of Software, and No Using the UUCP
lines for Interactive Use (these lines are not listed in the PaperNet or
given out except to those with UUCP accounts). Oh ya, No Sharing of
accounts. If people abuse our "open"ness we will have to create a more
specific set of rules (I'd rather not do that).
Q:*Can I use CUUG to do Commercial work?
A: We can't stop you from using the system for commercial use. However,
I will warn you that we DO NOT maintain a commercial grade system. That
is, we do not provide any guarantees about system uptime, recovery from
crashes, or data integrity after a crash. We also do not guarantee that
any one of the systems on loan to us will be available tomorrow. The
vendors have the right to remove their systems at a moments notice
(though many give us a few days warning).
Q:*How much quota am I alotted?
A: A general rule of thumb is "Use only the space that you need to store your
files temporarily and clean out your account periodically". A tentative
rule on the system now is "more than 5MB for 3 days and you lose files".
Q:*What machines are (currently) connected to CUUG?
A: IBM rs6000 (AIX 3.2), HP Series 9000/715 (HP-UX 9.03), SUN SS2
(SunOS 4.1.3), CUUG486 (Linux), and a Dec Alpha (V2.0).
Q:*Where is my account located?
A: Your account could be "located" on any one of three machines at CUUG.
It's is not really necessary to know where exactly your files are since
we use an automounting system that lets your files follow you around from
machine to machine. Here are the current machines and their associated
home directories: SUN (usera/userd/usere/userf), HP (userb), and IBM
(userc). Accounts on the Linux machine are by request only - information
in regards to this can be obtained from Scott Barker (barkers).
Q:*Eeeekk! They spelt my (finger) name wrong. How can I change it?
A: Ooops. Well, I guess even volunteers are human too. ;)
To change your name type: "chfn" on one of the CUUG machines (you may
have to try more than one machine - the SUN works best! ;) and then type
the new name you want (the IBM will ask if you want to change it first).
If you really get stuck, send mail to "help@cuug.ab.ca".
Q: I would like to use "(" ")" in my (finger) name on the machines. Can I?
A: Sure, if you don't mind people knowing you as "555-1212)" instead of
"Ima User [555-1212]". Use the "[" and "]" instead - it will save a lot
of problems in the long run.
Q: I don't like the shell that I currently have. How do I change it?
A: Use the command "chsh". When it asks you for the new shell, type in
the complete path (e.g. /bin/csh, /bin/sh, /bin/tcsh).
Q: I hate sh/csh/tcsh shells and want to use bash. Where can I find it?
A: bash is now available in /usr/local/bin on the HP and SUN and /usr/lbin
on the ibm machine. Note that since the directories are different you
will not be able to log from the HP or SUN into the IBM or vis versa.
Q: I missed the message of the day when I logged in. Is it stored someplace?
A: yes. /etc/motd :-)
Q: I'm new to UNIX and whenever I type in "Command" it gives me an error.
Whats up?
A: UNIX is case sensitive. That is, it MATTERS whether a letter is upper
or lowercase. Try typing in the command you want all in lowercase
letters (this is the norm for UNIX). It should work.
My rule of thumb for UNIX: Start all directories with Uppercase letters
(i.e. Download, Bin, etc.) then you can distinguish between files and
directories - mind you this is only MY suggestion, you don't HAVE to
do it.
Q: I've never used UNIX before in my life. Is there any books you would
recommend as an introduction?
A: Well, depending on your knowledge of computers in general there are
two texts that I would 'recommmend'. One is "UNIX for Dummies"
(one of those yellow and black books). It's a fairly informal (funny)
and non-technical introduction to UNIX - great for people who know
little about jargon and/or computers. The Second is "A Students Guide
to UNIX" by Harley Hahn, published by McGraw Hill. It's "A superb
introduction to UNIX ... In a clear and lively language, the author tells
the novice users everything they want to know about UNIX and the Internet
- covering UNIX Commands, utilities, shells, vi, e-mail, netnews, ftp
gopher, etc.".
A: Have a look in /archive/NewUser as well. There are some good intro/outline
documents in there and the numbers grow as more users write them!
Q: I forgot my password. Who should I talk to to get it reset?
A: Lisa at 265-2289. She's the only one who can verify your membership and
arrange for your password to be reset.
Q: I keep hearing about the 'CRC'. What and where is it?
A: CRC stands for CUUG Resource Centre. It is the location where the machines
are actually kept. You can book time to use the consoles by calling
Lisa at 265-2289. YOU MUST BOOK AHEAD OF TIME!
The CRC is open during the hours of 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
The mailing address for CUUG (and location of the CRC) is:
Calgary Unix Users Group
c/o CADVision Development Corporation
Suite 1590, 300 5th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta - CANADA T2P 3C4
Q: How do I book time in the CRC (resource centre - you know, the place
where the machines are actually located)?
A: Give a holler to Lisa, 265-2289, and book a time (you must
book time!). Sessions are limited to a maximum of 2 hours but Lisa
can fill you in on the particulars.
Q: What kind of media is available in the CRC?
A: HP has none. The SUN has a 3.5" Double-sided floppy, a 1/4" tape drive
(dc6150/dc6250 only!) and an exabyte 8200 8mm drive. The IBM has a 3.5"
floppy and the Linux machine has a 3.5" 1.44 floppy. There is a CDROM
attached to the SUN and DEC as well.
Q: What are the specs for the machines in the CRC?
A: I haven't the faintest and probably won't. The machines are on loan
from the vendors and are not necessarily setup for benchmarking (which
is what most people asking this question want to use the machines for).
Our suggestion if you which to benchmark is to contact the vendors
directly. The will be more than happy to allow legitimate tests to be
run on a properly set up machine at their office.
Q: I understand that CUUG is a non-profit, volunteer driven organization but
what kind of guarantees to you give for UPTIME and BACKUPS?
A: We don't. That is, we don't guarantee that the systems will be up all
the time or that they will be brought up right away should they crash,
nor do we guarantee that your files will be restored if a crash destroys
them. Remember, CUUG is run by volunteers and these people have their
own jobs to attend to first. They'll do the best they can but it's still
your responsibility to backup your own files.
(refer to item 1.7 of the users agreement in regards to UPTIME, and
item 1.8 of the users agreement in regards to BACKUPS)
Q:*I would like to contribute to _PaperNet_ (the CUUG newsletter). Where can
I submit articles and who should I talk to?
A: Great! The deadline for submissions is the third Monday of each month.
Submissions can be of any length. Those that are a little long will be
split between two issues. You can submit an article by sending mail to
the CUUG postal address or info@cuug.ab.ca Our current editor is
Nick Chondropolous (nickc@cuug.ab.ca). He will answer any of your
questions regarding format etc..
UUCP:
Q: What is UUCP?
A: UUCP refers to Unix to Unix Call Protocal or Unix to Unix CoPy depending
on the publication you read. However, we use it rather loosly to refer
to dial up mail and news feeds. In a nutshell, people with UUCP feeds
create their own node (site) and then dial in periodically to see if
they have mail or news. Once connected, if there is anything waiting
to be sent out it is passed to CUUGNET (IBM) and then anything in the
queue to be sent to the site is received. The receiving machine then
processes the incoming documents and forwards them to the appropriate
addresses or newsgroups. CUUG currently has two modems that are set
aside for exclusive UUCP use and a third is planned for the near future..
Q: Should I get UUCP? What's involved in obtaining a feed?
A: There are several things that you should take into consideration before
you decide to get a UUCP feed: 1) Do you really want to leave your machine
on for most/all of the day/night? 2) Do you know enough about UNIX to
make use of a UUCP feed? 3) Do you feel that you are up to maintaining
a UUCP feed on your end? Now, these questions might seem rather rough
but consider this, we spend time setting up the accounts and you spend
time setting up and maintaining your feed. We have removed a lot of
accounts when they have gone inactive - usually when the person who
requested it decides it's too much work to maintain.
If you wish to obtain a UUCP feed contact "adachir". He will send you
a questionnaire that you have to fill out to obtain a feed.
If you want more information on what you need and the time spent in
maintaining a feed mail "help".
Q: I'm a high end NEWS reader and would like to obtain news via UUCP.
(This frees up the modems for those that would like to use the system
for something other than reading mail and news).
A: If you have a UUCP feed currently, AND YOUR PROGRAM SUPPORTS NEWS FEEDS
send a mail message to autonews@cuug.ab.ca with "help" in the subject
line. This will send you back the information you need to request a
newsfeed through the automatic server. DO NOT put anything in the
body of your message (it will be ignored).
If you are not sure whether your UUCP program supports news, post to
cuug.bugs and ask (yes, Virginia, there are UUCP programs that are mail
only! ;)
A: If you don't have a UUCP feed you need to send mail to uucp@cuug.ab.ca
This will send your request to the current UUCP Admin and they should
be able to set you up an account in a few days. If someone hasn't
chatted with you after a couple of days, send mail to help@cuug.ab.ca
and I will check into it for you. It is your responsibility to obtain
and setup an UUCP program on your machine that will support mail AND
news feeds (see below for software suggestions).
Q: I would like to get a UUCP account but don't know what software to use.
A: There are several packages out there that will allow you to run a UUCP
connection. If you are using a UNIX type system (including Linux)
we suggest Taylor UUCP (v1.05 is available in /archive/Communications).
If you are using a DOS type system, a Shareware program called waffle
is available in /archive/Communications/waffle, filename WAF165.ZIP
(you might have to log into the SUN to get at it). If you have problems
setting one of these programs up, mail help@cuug.ab.ca and explain the
problems you are having. I will forward it on to a knowledgable person.
There is an article in /archive/Communications/waffle, filename
"PaperNet.article.Oct93" that outlines the features of waffle. Have a
read if you wish to know more about waffle or DOS based UUCP.
Q: What speed modem should I have for a UUCP conection?
A: You should have at least a 9600 baud modem, preferably with v.32bis,
v.42bis and/or MNP5. The modems we have on UUCP are telebit
Worldblasers 16.8's (special UUCP modems) so the faster the better!
There is talk of banning anything slower than 9600 due to the high
usage of the UUCP lines.
Q: How much room will a UUCP feed take?
A: That depends on the number of users on your end, the amount of mail they
receive and the number of newsgroups you receive. The average mail feed
for a one person site is probably in the range of 15 to 200K a week.
This depends on how heavy a mail user you are. Obviously, the more mail
you receive the more space you will need to store it so people on mailing
lists should keep a close eye on the amount of incoming mail - especially
if you have limited hard drive space! The average news feed (CUUG +
less than 20 other small groups) will proably run about 200-500K a DAY -
depending on the other groups. I currently receive 100+ newsgroups,
including some of the more popular ones and a few binaries, and have
a news feed of between 8 and 12 MB a day. If you receive UUCP news,
I recommend that you read and expire it on a daily basis.
Q: How do I find out which newsgroups I have on my newsfeed?
A: Send mail to autonews@cuug.ab.ca with the subject of "sendsys".
This will send you your current sys file entry.
Q: What reference texts are available for UUCP?
A: The two that were suggested to me are "Using UUCP and Usenet" and
"Managing UUCP and Usenet". The are "Nutshell" Books produced by
O'Rielly and Associates. NOTE: These excellent references for UNIX
(and Linux!) systems and could be considered rather technical. If
you are looking for a general UUCP informational text, I suggest you
ask the local bookstore what they have (cause I haven't found a general
text yet :(
Q: Now that I have a UUCP feed, what is my email address?
A: Your address is: <username-at-your-site>@<your-nodename>.cuug.ab.ca
Q: Can I change my UUCP password?
A: Yes. Log into the IBM and type "passwd ??uucp" where ??uucp is your UUCP
account name and follow the instructions. This will only work on the IBM.
Q: I have a UUCP feed but it always takes so long to download the files.
Do you have any suggestion when I should connect?
A: This problem was mentioned at the September General Meeting and in
cuug.uucp. The following are the recommendations for polling:
Mail Only: 4 times a day (minimum)
Mail and News (<20 groups): 8 times a day minimum
Mail and News (24 >= 20 groups): 12 times a day minimum
The average length of a call when nothing is waiting is less than 1
minute. The average length of a call when mail and news are waiting
is less than 5 minutes depending on the number of groups you subscribe
to and the time of day in relation to major news feeds (to CUUG).
Q: I'm trying to set up my UUCP account for mail but whenever I send any
out it gets returned. The address I send to is site1!site2!user.
A: CUUG does not, and will not, support BANG addresses (those with the
exclamation points in them). Try using the standard user@site2.site1
and things should go well. If you are having problems setting this
up, post a message to cuug.uucp or cuug.bugs and someone will help you.
Q: Do I need the 'maps' files in order to send mail?
A: No, you shouldn't if you set your SMARTHOST variable to cuugnet.
Post a message to cuug.uucp or cuug.bugs if you are having trouble
with your UUCP mail.
Q: Can I get help with UUCP and Linux?
A: Sure, mail me. I have mine up and running (finally) and will share it.
Send mail to help@cuug.ab.ca and explain your problem. Be persistent
if I promise something because I tend to get busy and forget to send
the files right away. You can also chat with Scott Barker (barkers)
and the Linux SIG will help too!
Waffle:
Q: I've downloaded waffle but I can't seem to configure it right. Is there
something on-line that will help me?
A: Yes. Have a look in /archive/Communications/waffle/changes-to-make.
There are a series of directories containing those files you need to
change to start the UUCP with waffle (no fancy frill changes just the
basics). IN each directory there is an install.bat file that you can
run once you've downloaded all the files that will move and rename all
the appropriate files for you. You still have to make the changes, but
the new files are commented and point you toward the changes to make.
If you still have problems send email to waffle@mouse.cuug.ab.ca.
Q: I have read all the Waffle help files available on the system but things
still won't run for me. Is there any way I can get a copy of someones
working config files?
A: Yes and No! Send mail to archive@mouse.cuug.ab.ca and ask for help.
I'll respond as fast as I can. Sorry - I used to have an archive
server here but since I switched to Linux I haven't transferred everything
acrosss. :(
Q: Is there a local mailing list for Waffle that I can subscribe to or ask
help from?
A: Yes! Send mail to waf-list@mouse.cuug.ab.ca and ask to be added to the
list.
This mail address is still valid!
Q: I have found a neat trick for use with Waffle. Is there any way I can share
it with other Waffle users?
A: Well, you could always post it to the cuug.bugs news groups OR (better yet)
you could send it to "waf-list@mouse.cuug.ab.ca"! This is the distribution
list for the Waffle group. (Should still work with linux!)
Q: What kind of throughput should I expect on my feed?
A: If you are using a 14.4 modem, MNP5 and FXUUCICO with the fx.gpktsize
set to 128 you should expect 1300-1600cps on (large) compressed files.
Of course, as with any type of downloading, the larger the file the
better the cps rate (I average about 1470cps over all transfers).
E-Mail:
Q:*I joined CUUG to have access to E-mail but all the lines are eternally
busy when I try and dial in. Are their any plans for new lines and
when is the best time to dial in?
A: The best time to log in is during the day (9am-4pm) during the week.
The evenings (6-11pm) are the busiest at CUUG. Currently we are trying
to maintain a policy of 25 users per modem but as we add more modems we
attract more users so we seem to be constantly behind in this regard.
Q: My friend at ... has an email account on the internet. Can they send
mail to me?
A: Yes. Your internet Email address is <loginname>@cuug.ab.ca
Q:*A friend of mine is on the internet at site1!site2!user but any mail
I send to him gets bounced. What's up?
A: CUUG does not, and will not, support BANG path addresses (the ones with
the "!" in them). Try sending the mail to user@site2.site1 or check
with him/her to see what their address is in that form.
NOTE: user@site.province.country is the standard address system for mail
within Canada and most countries use a variation of this for their own
addresses.
Q:*A friend of mine is on site.somewhere.ca but I don't know his/her Email
address. how can I find this out?
A: Send mail to postmaster@site.somewhere.ca and give as much information
about your friend as you can (full name, faculty etc.). If you are not
sure about the "site" part but know the "somewhere.ca" part you can
use nslookup in the following manner to find your friend:
% nslookup
> set type=ns
> somewhere.ca
(lists information here)
> quit (or control-C or exit - one should work ;)
From the list that is generated you should be able to find one site
that you can send mail to (postmaster@siteyoufound.somewhere.ca) for
information.
Q: I would like to join a mailing list. Is this allowed?
A: Sure, go ahead! There are several people within CUUG who subscribe to
mailing lists include a few of the admins! Just remember to clean out
your mailbox every so often - save what you want and ditch the rest.
Q:*What mailers are available on the system and how do I use them?
A: We have three mailers on the system: mail, elm, and pine.
mail: To send a mail message using "mail" type: "mail user" if the user
is on a CUUG machine, or "mail user@site.some.where" if the user
is on another machine. You will then be prompted for a Subject.
Once you enter it in and press return, you will be placed in the
editor. Type your message - remembering to press return at the
end of each line - and then press control-D or put a period "."
on a line by itself to exit. You can read in a file by typing
"~r filename" on a blank line. You can switch to the the editor
defined by the EDITOR setenv variable by typing "~e" or "~v".
Cursor keys do not work in 'mail' so once you press return on a
line, the only way to change it is to use the ~e or ~v editor.
To read mail messages in 'mail' type "mail" by itself and it will
list the Subjects of your incoming mail. To read a particular message
type the number on the "&" line. Type "h" on the "&" line for
more information on using 'mail'.
elm: To use elm on the HP type "elm". You will see a menu on the
bottom of the screen which shows you the options available to you.
pine: This is the one that I suggest that news
Q:*How do I forward my <user>@cuug.ab.ca mail to another account (UUCP,
or otherwise)?
A: Create a file in your root directory called .forward. On the first
line place the following: \<cuuguser>, <user>@<nodename>.cuug.ab.ca
where cuuguser is your CUUG username and user@nodename.cuug.ab.ca is
your UUCP or other site address. If you DON'T want a copy of your
mail to be left at CUUG (dangerous if your other system goes down
as you may lose your mail messages) remove the \<cuuguser>, and just
leave the address you want your mail to be forwarded to.
Q:*I would like to get a listing of all the mail messages I have in my
'mbox'. How do I do this?
A: "mbox" is created when you use "mail" to read your messages. The
easiest way to access what's in there is to type "elm -f mbox" and
you will enter the elm mailer and see a list of all the messages in
the mbox file.
Q:*How to I get a list of what messages are in my inbox and who sent them?
A: On any machine type "frm" at the % prompt and you will see two columns,
one of who sent the message and the next what their subject was.
Q: Is there any way to filter incoming mail messages on CUUG machines?
A: Yes, have a look at the filter program (man filter). If you have problems
setting up your filter send mail to "hoganm@cuug.ab.ca" and I'll help
you as much as I can (pending available time).
News:
Q: I used to use the newsreader "nn" on another system. Is it available
here?
A: No. nn is a big overhead headache so we don't run it. The news readers
available are tin, trn, rn, and gnus (emacs).
Q: I haven't logged in for a while and when I went to read my favorite
newsgroups most of the articles were gone. Why is this?
A: CUUG has a limited amount of space for news. We receive between
100 and 160MB of news a day. If we kept everything for weeks on end
you wouldn't have any room for your account so we expire articles
at intervals of 2 days or less (jeffreyd will be able to tell you
the exact time frame for your favorite group). cuug.* groups are
kept forever though, they are just moved to a new directory after
90 days (see below).
Q: I missed a posting in cuug.* Is there any way I can get the message
back?
A: Hmmm.. Well, I know with rn that if you have the article number you
can call it back up (start reading the group and type in the number of
the article you want) but I'm not sure with the other readers. I know
that articles in the cuug.* groups are kept for 90 days so it is
possible to go looking for it in /var/spool/news/cuug/... if you need
to. If the article is older than 90 days, you can find it in:
/usr/spool/news/arc.chive/cuug/* (thanks to Darren Jeffrey for this
tid bit). Of course, this all assumes that the article hasn't expired!
Someone also mentioned to me that it is possible to pick articles you want
to read (even those you've already read) in gnus but I don't know how to
do this.
Q:*I notice that you save cuug.* articles. Where can I find other articles
from other groups when they have dissappeared from the obvious CUUG
directories?
A: Not on CUUG. There are a couple of places that you can look. One is
on gopher (type "gopher" and follow the menus), another is (apparently)
on WWW (see the WWW/Gopher/Lynx section below), and another is at an
archive for that newsgroup. If you are looking for an FAQ for a
particular group check out rtfm.mit.edu (ftp rtfm.mit.edu). If you
are looking for article archives I suggest checking the FAQ first and
it will usually tell you where you can find what you want.
Q:*What is the program for posting news messages?
A: Type "Pnews" and answer the series of questions it poses. It's that
simple! (This won't work on the IBM!)
Downloading/Uploading:
Q:*I'm trying to download files using Zmodem and it keeps timing out
on me. Any Suggestions?
A: See the TOPICAL section above for logging into a particular server.
A: Their are a number of switches you can use and you will have to play
around with it to get the ones that work best for you.
Command line (with everything): sz -b -e -u -o -w 1536 file1 ...
-b sets the transfer mode to binary. (as versus ascii) You need this
when transfering ZIP, ZOO, or other archive/binary files.
-e escapes all the control characters
-u removes the file from your directory once it had been downloaded
successfully (VERY helpful).
-o use CRC-16 error checking instead of 32 - this slows things down a
tab but seems to work in some instances.
-w #### This is the window size to use. I suggest 1536 or 1024 but
any number that can be divided by 256 will do.
filename.ext can be a single file, a list, or contain wildcards (? or *)
Q:*I'm using <package> to download files to my system with Zmodem and it
keeps aborting on me. I use (the above) settings but it doesn't help.
A: Check the TOPICAL section above for information on logging into a Terminal
server.
A: If you use Telix check to see if it is a beta version. The Beta form
is REALLY flakey with our system. If you are using the Beta, I suggest
that you update your Telix to a newer version. You might want to try
"Telemate" as an alternative. It's set up much like Telix but has
been a little more reliable. Telemate is available in /archive/PD
A: If you are NOT using Telix check to see if you have the newest version
of the software. If it's shareware, there might be a newer version
that fixes some of the bugs that are causing the problems.
A: Procomm seems to be having some problems as well - especially with
binary files. You might have to manually set the file type for the
download to binary (on both ends) in order for it to work correctly.
A: ANSI terminal servers are having problems too... as well as people who
use ANSI settings for there emulation.
A: 2400 baud modems are having problems no matter what the program...
A: Modems that do not have error correction (v.42bis, MNP5) have a hard time
too...
A: I've even heard of people turning off data compression on their modems and
having better success (if its >= 9600)
Q: I downloaded a ZIP file onto my system but when I try and unzip it I
get an error message about needing to us PKZIPFIX. What did I do wrong?
A: ZIP, ZOO, ARC, ARJ, .tar.Z and a number of other compression programs
have to be downloaded in BINARY. That is, while in FTP you have to set
the transfer type to binary (type "bin" at the FTP> prompt) AND you have
to use the "-b" switch with Zmodem (assuming you use 'sz'). If you
do both of these and it still says to use zipfix, assume the file is
corrupt and find another site to get it from.
Q: I would like to upload files to the system. How do I do it?
A: It depends on which protocol you wish to use. To receive using Kermit
type "kermit" at the % prompt and then type "receive" or "r" at the
Kermit-C> prompt. With Xmodem, simply type "rx" at the % prompt.
With Ymodem it's "rb" and Zmodem "rz". You will control the transfer
type (binary versus ascii) on your end. There are problems with this
so you might have to try several times and incurr a few errors to get it
to work.
Q:*I'm using the Telemate program that you suggest and the login sequence
you suggest and I still can't download files. What's next?
A: Well, try changing machines you are downloading from (this is especially
true if you use the SUN machine all the time) and if that doesn't work
have a look and see who else is downloading files (type "w" at the prompt).
The more people that are downloading the worse the error rate.
Q:*What kind of throughput should I expect?
A: I usually get 1000-1500cps on binary files and 1400-1700cps for ascii
files on a 14.4 line using Zmodem and v.42bis. I have no specs for
other speeds but have heard that a Zyxel on connected to the Zyxel on
the 16.8 line can get 1600-2000cps on binary and 2000-3000 on ascii.
A: On the Vista terminal server 900cps seems to be tops no matter what
modem you use - this is a limit of the Vista not your modem or anything
you do.
FTP:
Q: I downloaded a file from ... and then Zmodem'd it down to my machine
but I get this "use pkzipfix" error when I try and unzip it. What did
I do wrong?
A: You forgot to set the transfer type to binary either in ftp/ncftp or
with Zmodem. With ftp/ncftp simply type "bin" before you start your
download to assure that you are using a binary transfer. With Zmodem
use the "-b" switch. It's actually good policy to always use the
binary transfer mode with FTP.
NOTE: ZIP, ZOO, ARC, ARJ, .tar.Z, .tz, .gz, gif, jpg and a number of
other compression programs and images have to be downloaded in BINARY
to work correctly on your machine. If you download with the binary
settings on and it still says to use zipfix, assume the file is
corrupt and find another site to get it from.
Q:*Whenever I use ftp over the modems I keep getting timed out. Is there
any way to avoid this?
A: You are probably downloading large files and it is taking longer than
5 minutes to complete a session - thus the terminal server is timing
you out for inactivity. There are two things that you can try to use
to avoid this: ncftp (instead of plain ftp) and typing "hash" at the
ftp> prompt. Both display the status of your download (in a sense) and
should keep your session active. With ncftp I know this works - it
displays the progress of each file you are downloading as a percent.
With ftp and hash, you will see "#"'s appear on the screen for each
block that is downloaded - it's dull, boring even, but it might keep
your session active until you are through.
A: If you have other things to do, there is this third way as well (I
recommend that only more advanced users try this though). Start
your ftp session (not ncftp) and then your download. Once it is
underway, press "control-Z" to suspend the session and then "%1 &"
to put it in the background. This will allow you to work on other
things while downloading, however, it may not work on all of the
machines. If you do use this method, DO NOT log out! It will abort
the transfer if you do. This way MAY put occasional messages on your
machine and you won't know of the site drops you!
A: There is also a third way (this is the best one ;) - use ncftp.
NCFTP will work just like ftp but puts up a neat little status bar.
You can also type "ncftp -V quiet site.to.ftp.from:/path/to/file.name"
and it should get the file for you in the background. DON't run more
than one of these at once!
Q: I ftp to ... on a regular basis and usually go into the same directory.
Is there any kind of script that I could use to speed things up?
A: If you try and use a script, you can't work interactively. However,
you can set up a file called ".netrc" in your home directory. Entries
in this file should look like this: (the lines with "." should be blank)
machine <site> login <user> password <pass> macdef init
bin
<blank line>
<site> is the name of the site you wish to log into.
<user> is the username you wish to use.
<pass> is the password. (leave this out if you have a different password)
<blank line> is neccessary to terminal the macro (init is the startup macro
** The key word "machine" can be replaced with "default" which will use
"anonymous" as the user, and "user@site" as the password.
** everything after "machine <site>" is optional.
** it is a security risk to use the password option for personal accounts.
** the ".netrc" file cannot be group or world readable.
A: You can use a program called "ncftp". It has a few features in it
(like last directory recall) that might be of use to you. Please
refer to the man pages for more information (man ncftp).
Q: When is the best time to FTP?
A: Ahhh.... yes... now is time to give away the secrets...
Ok, here it is. When you are going to FTP you have to take a few things
into consideration like what the time of day is and what the time of day
is at the site you are FTPing to. Since the network contains a lot of
people who work 8-5 and a lot of students who work Monday-Thursday these
are NOT the best time to FTP. Therefore, I suggest you try Friday night
(when the working class is home relaxing and the University students are
out drinking) or Saturday or Sunday morning (when most adults are sleeping
and most University students are recovering).
WWW/Gopher/Lynx/Mosaic:
Q:*I would like to submit something for this section how do I do it?
A: Send it to me at help@cuug.ab.ca and make sure I put it in!
SIG:
Q:*I have an entry for the sig portion of the FAQ how do I get it added?
A: Mail it to me (help@cuug.ab.ca) and I will add it for you. If I don't
add it right away, bug me until I do.
Q:*I would like to join the User Support SIG and help you maintain the
FAQ. Is that ok?
A: Finally! HELP! ;) Send me mail at help@cuug.ab.caQ:*Who do I talk to about the Linux SIG?
A: Scott Barker (barkers)
Q:*Who do I talk to about the Admin SIG?
A: Good question (and I'm in it!)
Q:*Who is the Chairperson in charge of SIGs?
A: Richard Body (rbody)
Misc:
Q: Is there a GNU clone for "c" and "C++"?
A: Check out /archive/PD/GCCforDOS.zip. Nice program! ;)
The version we have here is old but it is the smallest one available.
It is not necessarily completly compatible with the up to date versions
but the best version is about 15MB compressed and this one is 2.5MB.
For some reason space seems to be a big factor for most people.
Q:*How do I check how much disk space I'm currently using?
A: In your root directory type: "du" (disk usage) This will list off
each of your subdirectories, the amount of space each is taking and
a grand total at the bottom. To just see the grand total type: "du -s"
If your total is more than 5MB, you might want to consider downloading
files to your own machine or using compress to archive them (zip them).
To use compress on a file type: "compress filename" It will add a .Z
extension to the file. Remember, you are responsible for backing up
your own account! The more you have, the more you can loose!
Q:*I would like to find information on ... Where can I find it?
A: The fastest way is to use archie. Non-interactive archie is so slow
that I don't suggest you use it. To use archie interactively
type: "telnet archie.mcgill.ca" Login: archie (return at password)
You will see a list of all the archie sites. Pick one and telnet to
it (same Login:). When you get there type "set sortby hostname" at
the archie> prompt and then "prog string" where string is the portion
of the filename/info you want to find. Get ready to screen capture
because when it's through it sputs it out really fast! SUGGESTION:
archie searches for occurances of a string in a file/directory name. If
you don't find anything on a topic try using shorter strings or a short
form of the name.
A: Depending on what you are looking for you might want to check out "gnn"
as well. I beleive that this program allows you access to "information"
rather than files per se.
A: There is also WWW/Gopher/Lynx as well...
Q: I redirected the man pages for ... into a file but when I go to edit it
there are all these control characters messing things up. How can I get
rid of them?
A: There is an easy way to do this in VI but I don't know if it will work
in emacs too. In VI type: ":1,$s/.^H//g" where ^H is entered ^V^H (the
carrot "^" is the control key). You can do this with most control
characters.
Q: I pressed control-Z to abort a process/suspend a process but I can't
figure out how to get back in. Is there a command somewhere for this?
A: There are two ways of returning to a suspended process. If you only
have one suspended process or would like to return to the most recently
suspended one, type "fg" and it will bring it to the foreground. If you
have multiple suspended processes and would like to return to a particular
one, type "jobs" and then "%#" where # is the number of the job you
wish to return to (located in square brackets [#]).
Q: I'm trying to exit the system and it's telling me I have suspended
processes. How to I find out what these are and kill them?
A: First, to get the process id (pid) type "ps" or "jobs -l". Then
type "kill -9 <pid>" where pid is the number associated with the
process you want to kill (with "ps" its in the "PID" column, with
"jobs -l" it's the number between the +/- and the word "Suspended").
Q:*I understand you have the complete Linux GNU clone somewhere on the
system. Where is it?
A: On the Linux machine! I think it is in /archive/Slackware on the
CUUG486 machine. Scott Barker (barkers) can directy you to the
right place.
Q:*Everyone keeps mentioning something about the programs available in
the "archive" directory. Where is this?
A: The directory is /archive It contains a number of programs (or source
code) and documents on several topics. Have a look. You might find
something useful! (you might have to log into the SUN to access it)
To access this directory type "cd /archive".
Q:*Someone mentioned you have a cdrom mounted somewhere. Where is it and
what's on it?
A: It can be found on the SUN mounted in the director /cdrom. If there
isn't anything there then someone forgot to mount it or there is no
CDROM in the drive.
Q:*Who are the administrators for the system?
A: Rob Adachi (CRC Chair and Day to Day Admin), Richard Body (FSF),
Terry Ingoldsby (mail), Darren Jeffrey (news), Lisa (Scheduling,
reception, & CUUG information), Nick Chondropolous (Newsletter),
Mike Hogan (FAQ, help) and many others on the CRC committee.
Q: I ran into a problem on the system it's ... Who do I report it too?
A: If you can't fix it yourself, post the problem to cuug.bugs. If you
don't know how to post, send it to help@cuug.ab.ca and I'll post it
for you (or pass it along). Since this system runs entirely on time
provided by volunteers, we can't check every nook and cranny. Your
help is always appreciated!
Q: How do I volunteer?
A: Post a message into cuug.bugs and ask what needs to be done. This
is the best way to find the people who need your help.
Q: Is there any online help files to introduce a new user to UNIX and
the associated commands/features (mail, news, FTP, Telnet etc).
A: There are intro files for "vi" and "emacs" and help files for "mail/elm"
located in /archive/NewUser. There are also files with common UNIX
commands and regarding logging into CUUG there too. Have a read,
they're pretty good!
A: Help files on the following topics: rn, trn, tin, ftp/ncftp, telnet, and
Pnews are still in the works. If anyone wants to volunteer to write one
of these (or anything else I missed) please mail "help". Until then
you'll (unfortunately??) have to cope with "man <command>".
A: There is a good book out for new users. It's called "UNIX for Dummies".
Don't let the title discourage you, it really goes into the basics of
a UNIX system and the commands for it. Another text called "A Students
Guide to UNIX" is a little more indepth. You might want to have a
look at it too. I have heard that the Unix for Dummies book is REALLY
good - maybe I should buy a copy...
Q: I know nothing about this internet stuff. Is there a book you recommend
to learn about it?
A: I own a copy of "Internet for Dummies" and find it pretty good. I have
also had a look at "The Whole Internet Guide and Catalog" put out by
O'Reilly and Associates and find it very good. There are several texts
out there that are designed to help you navigate around the internet.
Have a look in your favorite book store and see what they have!
I found a new book recently "The Canadian Internet Handbook". It gives
a lot of info about Canadian sites (including libraries and archives).
Lingo:
Q: I keep seeing these "colon dash RightRoundParenthesis" or "semicolon
RightRoundParenthesis" or something like that on messages. What the
heck are they for?
A: Hmmm.... OHHHH! Smiley! Happyfaces (look at them sideways :-).
Printed text is devoid of emotion so we often use smilies to denote the
proper 'tone' of the message. For instance, if I put ;) (winking
smiley) after a line of text, it usually means "don't take me seriously"
or "I'm chiding you" (poke in the ribs kinda stuff). If you see a :-)
it usually means the person is happy. Conversly a :-( means they are
sad. Here are a few of the more common smiley.
:-) :) Happy, glad, general good mood
;-) ;) Winking smiley - kidding, joking, chiding, fun
:-( :( Sad, unhappy
>:-( >:( Angry, mad
:-\ :\ Exasperated, confused, ho-hum
:-P :P Smiley sticking it's tounge out
There are a LOT more where these came from and a lot of variations on
a theme (you can use an "8" for the eyes, a ">" or "<" for the mouth,
a "=" or "^" for the nose etc.). There is a conical list (collection)
of smileys around somewhere on the net. Check in rec.humor %=)
Q: What does BTW stand for? FYI? TTFN?
A: BTW = By the Way, FYI = For your info, TTFN = Ta Ta for Now.
Q: I keep hearing about 'flames' and 'dev-null'. I assume these don't
refer to the hockey team and rock band?
A: Hehe... You're right. A Flame does not refer to Theo Fleury and his
team mates but rather a chastizing news/mail message. Essentially
a 'flame' is when someone else on the net states their opinion of your
post/lack of knowledge/incorrect information in an arguemental manner
(mostly unconstructive critisism - calling you names, insulting your
mother and the like). Generally it's what happens when someone loses
patience with someone else or if you are strongly opinionated and
someone else opposes you (sorta like parliament sessions ;).
'/dev/null' officially refers to a device on a UNIX machine that
accepts everything but ignores/deletes/does nothing with it. It's the
UNIX version of a garbage can or bit bucket. If someone tells you to
send your Flames to /dev/null they mean "I don't want to hear your
[bad/unconstructive/negative] opinions on my work" or "If it ain't
constructive keep it to yourself". (eg. "I hate the way your FAQ is
set up." is a Flame and belongs in /dev/null)
Q: Who the heck are you?
A: My name is Mike Hogan (hoganm@cuug.ab.ca). I answer any questions that
Lisa can't (she's learning! ;). It's a job that I have always enjoyed
doing therefor I volunteered!
But... I can't take all the credit. Rob Adachi is a great friend and
helps me with all the questions I can't answer and with some admin type
stuff. :-)
Q:*What are the qualifications of the Admins/People who run this system?
A: You wouldn't beleive how many times people ask me this... usually when
they are really PEEVED at something... First thing first, we are
VOLUNTEERS on this system - we give our time for FREE to keep it up.
(i.e. We both VOLUNTEER our expertise (that we would get paid for
otherwise) to CUUG to keep it running). Now that we have that
straight... Here are brief profiles of the two most visible members
of the Admin crew...
Rob Adachi is the System administrator at AOSTRA where he manages not
only to keep his own systems up and running but ours as well - all
during an 8 hour day.
I'm a Systems Specialist with MSI Systems Integration. That's a
fancy way of saying I'm a UNIX system support specialist amongst
other things.
As for the rest of the CRC Committee (those that run the system
whether in the forground or background) are all paid professionals in
a wide range of fields. You can be assured that the people we have
managed to attract are some of the TOP people in the business and
will do the best they can to keep CUUG up and running.
That's just the CRC and the system admins! Their are several other
groups that allow the CRC to do it's job! Have a look for the monthly
Board of Directors meeting minutes in cuug.board and you will see
just how much work goes into running CUUG (each group has a monthly
meeting lasting 1-3 hours each). A lot goes on behind the scenes
to make it as smooth as you see it! ;)
Disclaimer: The FAQ is an ongoing project. I've tried to incorporate
all of the suggestions and help call/mail questions I've
received since it was first released (and added a few of
my own). If somethings wrong, correct me. If somethings
missing or incorrect, let me know. Remember, we all
volunteer to make the system the best we can so flames
to /dev/null ! (if you don't know what this is you should
re-read this file! ;)
http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/faq/faq.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)