Headline Story: InstallFest -- October 12

Table of Contents

• Next General Meeting is October 10
  • Tutorial: Sendmail by Tony Zafiropoulos
  • Presentation: Wireless Networking by Allen Rueter
• Next Linux Meeting is October 18
  • Presentation: Cryptography: The Art and Science by Glenn Gebhart
• Book Specials
• Calendar of Events
• Meeting Directions
• Articles
• Linux InstallFest -- October 12, 2001
• Getting Involved
• The Carnival in Action
• Quotes
• Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
• St. Louis Linux Users Group
• Steering Committee
• Sponsors
• SLUUG on the World Wide Web
• SLUUG Administration is volunteer based.
• /usr/groups/other
• Contacts
• Submitting Articles to the SLUUG CRONicle
• SLUUG PO Box

Next Meeting Details

Tutorial

Abstract:
Tony will cover the basics of configuring Sendmail, including some common situations, as well as a couple more advanced features. Sendmail is configured via the sendmail.cf file, but most users take advantage of the sendmail.mc file, which uses the m4 macro language to simplify the syntax.

In addition to the standard features, like allowing and denying specific hosts, Tony will talk about the "copyuser" feature, which will send a copy of every outgoing email message to a specific user. This is helpful when you need to keep a full record of your email for legal reasons. Tony will also cover the "virtusertable" feature, which allows you to host multiple email domains on one system.

Bio:
Tony Zafiropoulos is the owner of CTiTek, a St. Louis consulting company that specializes in Linux solutions. He maintains systems and acts as Chief Technology Officer for several local businesses. His current project is FixMyVirus.com, which encourages the use of Open Source products to protect business from the spread of viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.

Tony has a Systems Engineering degree from Washington University. He spent part of his childhood in Germany and is an avid history buff. For obvious reasons, he often goes by Tony "Z".

Presentation

Abstract:
In this presentation, Allen will cover various aspects of wireless networking, primarily 802.11b. He will start out with the "physical" layer, including properties such as frequency, power, distance, and interference. Allen will touch on different types of wireless networks, comparing them with common wired Ethernet standards.

In addition to the theory, Allen will talk about his practical experiences with wireless networking. This includes roaming, access control, security, and costs. Allen will explain how to apply a little voodoo and magic to get your wireless network "on the air".

Bio:
Allen Rueter is Director of Computing Technology Services in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University. Someone at Purdue taught him how to rewire an 80-80 board when he was 12, in order to help his dad with his Masters thesis, back in the 60s. After a couple year hiatus, he went back to goofing around with computers. The Washington University Computer Science department has had a wireless network for 4 years, starting with a 1 Mbs, and steadily increasing to newer technologies.

Ideas, questions and suggestions are welcome; please contact Christine Wanta (cfw1@sluug.org).

Next St. Louis Linux Users Group Meeting Is October 18

Abstract:
You want to know about cryptography because it's sexy. Being able to discuss technical minutiae about cryptographic algorithms will help you win friends and influence people.

OK, probably not. But the inescapable fact is that every time you log in to a system, use a secure web site, or sign an email, you are relying on several decades worth of cryptographic research. This talk will reveal the behind-the-scenes technology which makes these things possible, allowing you to make a more informed decision about which systems you are willing to trust.

Proceeding with a chronological bent, this talk will cover the history of cryptology and the driving factors behind the development of modern "strong" crypto, followed by a discussion of modern cryptographic theory. Additional topics will include algorithms and cryptographic software, current issues of note to the cryptographic community, and speculation as to the future direction of cryptography. [Spoiler: The good guys win.] [Update: The government is trying to take our win away from us.]

Bio:
Glenn Gebhart received a BS in Computer Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2000. He went on to found Shiny Boxes, Inc., a network hardware firm specializing in transparent Internet appliances which has since gone the way of the dodo bird. Glenn is currently acting as a "freelance computer consultant", and hopes some day to get a real life.

Meetings of the St. Louis Linux User Group (LUG) are held from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM every THIRD THURSDAY of each month. Location: Indian Trails Branch - Saint Louis County Library. Meetings are free and open to everyone. Refer to http://www.stllinux.org for details and maps.

Comments, questions and ideas for the St. Louis Linux Users Group are welcome; please send email to linux@sluug.org

Special Promotions

Special of the Month The October special will be: 1-4 books - 25% off 5-7 books - 30% off 8-9 books - 35% off 10+ books - 40% off Microsoft titles - 75% off

The O'Reilly and Associates line of books is available at each monthly general meeting as a convenience to our members. Most months we feature special offers on titles related to that month's presentation or tutorial topic. Discounts off retail prices are offered to all attendees. Books that are not available at the meetings may be ordered to be picked up at the next SLUUG general meeting.

Calendar of Events

Meeting Directions

Directions From Downtown

1. Take 40 West to the Hanley exit.
2. Turn left (south) onto Hanley.
3. Turn left (east) onto Manchester, then turn right ASAP into the Sunnen Products driveway.

(NOTE: A security guard from Sunnen is scheduled to be at the door from 6:20 PM to 7:20 PM to allow entry. After 7:20, the door will be unattended and attendees may not be able to enter.)

The SLUUG Steering Committee meets the Monday following the general meeting at 6:00 PM in the 2nd floor training room of Daugherty Systems, One City Place in Creve Coeur.

The St. Louis Linux Users Group meets the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Indian Trails Branch Library.

See map at http://www.stllinux.org/directions/

NOTE: These articles may express personal opinions and SLUUG exerts no more editorial control over such content than does a public library, bookstore, or newsstand. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed herein are those of the respective authors and not necessarily supported by SLUUG. SLUUG does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content, nor its merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.

Linux InstallFest -- October 12, 2001

What:	Linux InstallFest
When:	Friday, October 12, 2001 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Where:	Inflow 710 North Tucker Blvd. (Globe Building, downtown)
How much:	FREE!

The St. Louis Linux Users Group announces their third Linux InstallFest. At this event, experienced Linux users will assist those who wish to install and learn about Linux. Anyone who wants to know more about Linux is welcome to attend. You can bring your own PC in to get help installing and configuring Linux. There also will be presentations on Linux topics, including "Securing your Linux system" and "Using Linux to minimize the Code Red viruses".

In most cases, all you will need to bring is the computer itself. Inflow will provide Super VGA monitors, PS/2 keyboards, and PS/2 mice. If you have older or non-standard hardware, you should bring it along. You can also come just to see the presentations or watch and learn as others install Linux on their systems.

For more details on the InstallFest, what to expect, and how to prepare, please check out the web page at http://www.stllinux.org/installfest/installfest.html. Please take the time to sign up there so we know how many people to expect. You can also sign up as a volunteer to help out.

The InstallFest is sponsored by Inflow (a web-hosting facility) and FixMyVirus.com (a CTitek Company). Many others involved in the St. Louis Linux Users Group and local community will be there as well. For more information on Inflow Saint Louis please visit http://www.inflow.com/colocationstlouis/index.asp.

For more information on the Linux InstallFest, please contact Tony Zafiropoulos (tonyz@fixmyvirus.com).

Getting Involved

We've got several projects going on or starting up at SLUUG. I want to take this opportunity to mention a few of them, and urge you to participate in some way.

First of all, volunteers are needed to help with the Linux InstallFest on October 12. See the article above for more details, and contact Tony Z if you can help in any way.

We are planning a round-table discussing the pros and cons of various Linux distributions at our December 20th LUG meeting. We have a few people lined up to speak on several distros, but we need a few more volunteers. Each person will talk about 5-10 minutes on why people should consider their favorite Linux distribution. If you have any specific expertise, please contact us at linux@sluug.org.

We've got elections coming up in February, to choose the officers for the coming year, as well as some of the board members. Anyone who has attended 2 or more SLUUG events during the year is eligible to vote. The dilemma we have is that some members only attend the Thursday Linux meetings and some only attend the Wednesday general meetings. We'd like to include both groups in the voting process. Some ideas that have been proposed include voting at both meetings, or combining both groups into one meeting for that month. We'd like to get some input from a variety of members, including some of our newer members. If you can help us figure out a solution, please contact the board (board@sluug.org).

One of our members recently suggested that we get involved in the larger Open Source community, by collectively working on an Open Source project. We could get together to do debugging, offer suggestions for new features and UI design, and even develop patches to fix bugs and implement the new features. This will require some start-up effort to determine which Open Source project(s) to work on, and how to get the ball rolling. If you have any ideas, contact Craig Buchek (linux@sluug.org).

As always, you can get involved in the SLUUG decision-making process by attending the Steering Committee meetings, and signing up for the STEERCOM mailing list. There are plenty of other projects you can get involved with, or you can make your own suggestions.

The Carnival in Action

Well, if you had told me a year ago what the MOSLUG of today would be like, I would have at best called you a liar.

In September, we held our ninth monthly meeting for the Missouri Open Source / Linux Users' Group, and it amazed me on two levels.

First, in under a year we have grown from five people sitting and talking about news in a Border's bookstore while Hotel Faux Pas played in the background to roughly sixty to seventy members with twenty-five or so showing up for an average meeting. At the latest meeting, there were eight computers on hand, ranging from an iPaq hand-held to a 1.3 GHz Athlon system. The iPaq was flashed a new OS and the Athlon was assembled on site.

Second, the sheer enthusiasm displayed at the meetings toward the group, the GNU/Linux projects, and Free and Open software is unparalleled in any group which I have attended. Granted, we are not the group for everyone. We are a bit loud, a bit rambunctious, and a bunch chaotic. There is NO standard format. Generally, there are three to four different factions that congregate with people passing easily between the factions.

In corner one, we have the network freaks, two to ten boxen set up for some sort of network activity (i.e. a game of "hunt"). Then the "I busted it again" contingent occupies the second corner. All sorts of help is dished out here, often fixing the malady during the meeting. Occupying the remaining free space stands the general "look at what I just did" and/or "did you hear about" guys where free discussion rules. If anyone happens to have something they want to talk about or an announcement that needs to be made, they get the whole group's attention. Momentarily make the announcement and things go back to the general groupings.

Our September session was a pretty typical meeting (for the last few). We played with a couple of installs: one NFS install was unsuccessful because we were unable to get the NIC recognized. The other was a successful first install for Dave using Red Hat 7.1 on a P100 with 12 MB, CD-ROM, and floppy drive. This install involved hardware trouble-shooting, making disks from images and some introductory advice from our resident install sage and public relations guy, Stan. We played a little DOOM, talked about the upcoming SLUUG/Linux SIG meetings and generally got caught up with folks who had been out of town for a little bit.

So, if you are bored on the first Tuesday of each month, roaming the streets of St. Louis, we offer you an alternative. To paraphrase Luke: Welcome to MOSLUG, now do something.

For more information on MOSLUG, please visit http://paradoxical.nbtsc.org/~iguanacog or contact Arlo at proticon@yahoo.com.

Quotes

A finger I can understand.
 -- In response to Jason Pattie's difficulties using a laser pointer

We didn't have success doing it, but we had a lot of fun.
 -- J. T. Moree, on moving FlashBIOSes in and out of running machines

Revenge and Justice are not the same.
 -- heard on CBS news 9/11/2001

I am not willing to give up my philosophy that everyone can win --
naive as it is.
 -- Sue Hurst

War: 2 sides who know they're right, but can't prove it.

May God have mercy on their souls, because we won't.
 -- John McCain

It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.
 -- Alfred Adler

Law stands mute in the midst of arms.
 -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Liberty is always dangerous, but it is the safest thing we have.
 -- Harry Emerson Fosdick

Military justice is to justice what military music is to music.
 -- Groucho Marx

There never was a good war or a bad peace.
 -- Benjamin Franklin

You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.
 -- Jeannette Rankin

They make a desert and call it peace.
 -- Tacitus

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

St. Louis Linux Users Group

Indian Trails Library
8400 Delport Drive (at Midland)
(314) 428-5424

For more information on the St. Louis Linux Users Group, refer to the web page at http://www.stllinlux.org or contact Craig Buchek (linux@sluug.org).

St. Louis UNIX Users Group Steering Committee

Sponsors

• Analysts International http://www.analysts.com/
• Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) http://www.accenture.com/
• Bradford & Galt http://www.bradfordandgalt.com/
• CIBER, Inc. http://www.ciber.com/
• Cybercon http://www.cybercon.com/
• Cypress Systems, Ltd. http://www.cypress-systems.com/
• Daugherty Systems http://www.daugherty.com/
• Graybar Electric http://www.graybar.com/
• Informix Corporation http://www.informix.com/
• Maryville Data Systems, Inc. http://www.maryville.com/
• Maverick Tube Corporation http://www.maverick-tube.com/.
• O'Reilly & Associates http://www.ora.com/
• Renaissance Worldwide, Inc. http://www.rens.com/
• Sacerdoti Linux Machines http://www.slinuxmachines.com/ {link may be down}
• Sun Microsystems http://www.sun.com/
• Stopka & Associates http://www.stopka.com/
• Sunnen Products http://www.sunnen.com/
• Sykes Enterprises, Inc. http://www.sykes.com/
• Technisource Inc. http://www.tsrc.net/
• Triple-I Corporation http://www.triplei.com/
• Venmar Systems, Inc. http://www.venmar.com/
• The Law Offices of Rich McLennan, mclennan@sluug.org

For more information about sponsoring the St. Louis UNIX Users Group, contact Ed Wehner, send mailto:wehner@sluug.org.

SLUUG on the World Wide Web

SLUUG Administration is volunteer based.

/usr/groups/other

Contacts

Submitting Articles to the SLUUG CRONicle

SLUUG Mailing Address

        St. Louis UNIX Users Group
        P.O. Box 411302
        Creve Coeur Post Office
        St. Louis, MO   63141-9998