Spider Island Chat Log for July 21st

Text of TeleFinder Chat from Tuesday, July 21, 1998 11 AM PDT.

In attendance:

From SpiderIsland: Rusty Tucker

Sysops: Bill Gram-Reefer, Bob Nunn, Donald McHose, Jim Leary, Steve Messimer

rusty tucker hola!
Donald McHose joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Donald!
Donald McHose : sneekin in ;-)
Bob Nunn joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Bob!
Bill Gram-Reefer joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Bill!
Bill Gram-Reefer : yowsa yowsa
rusty tucker DM - did you see my latest note about your Virtual Hosting woes?
rusty tucker
Bill Gram-Reefer : be right back
Donald McHose : Well I did see this a.m.'s and I returned a note back ..thanx
Donald McHose : did you get that?
Donald McHose : note?
rusty tucker What I was hoping for was one would type in www.southport-maritime.org in their browser of choice and after the page loads they would see www.southport-maritime.org in their Address window.
rusty tucker Yes ^
rusty tucker But that is what will happen when you get the DNS to point at your computer.
rusty tucker they user won't see "http://207.232.201.198/southport/ "
rusty tucker that's all internal to the browser and WebServer
Steve Messimer joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Steve!
Jim Leary joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Jim!
Jim Leary left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Jim Leary
Jim Leary joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Jim!
Steve Messimer : hey rusty!
Bill Gram-Reefer : he's back
rusty tucker DM > just like they don't' see "http://207.232.201.198/" when they call up your regular domain.
Donald McHose : Hmmm I guess that is what I told the people to do , point the url at the IP address. They said it would only work if I had it pointed to IP address/southport ;-(
Donald McHose : What a run around.
Bill Gram-Reefer : is this an issue of map[ping multiple domain names to one IP address?
rusty tucker Its confusing because they've got that domain pointed at their own web server not yours!
rusty tucker not yet BGR
rusty tucker that's how it started though
Steve Messimer : So Rusty... when do you think that 5.7 is going to go final?
rusty tucker Their web server is then redirecting to yours.
Donald McHose : O.K. I'll file that one away for my next shot at these people. I'll probably cancel the account if I cannot get satisfaction.
rusty tucker So, yes, on a redirect, it does need to point at "http://207.232.201.198/southport"
Donald McHose : I did not pay for redirect.
Jim Leary left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Jim Leary
Jim Leary joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Jim!
rusty tucker Steve, I'll have one more round on the servers.
Steve Messimer : ok
rusty tucker Also waiting for some good feedback on the Windows client.
Donald McHose : b-back
rusty tucker BN has gotten a lead for me, but I'd like to get much more input.
Donald McHose left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Donald McHose
Jim Leary : Who knows Linux?
rusty tucker I've set it up on a server here and tried some things out.
Jim Leary : I want to try it at home. What am I getting myself into? How long would it take to get familiar with if I've never used UNIX?
rusty tucker Its a bitch.
Jim Leary : In what regard?
rusty tucker Setup, use, maintenance.
Jim Leary : just setting it up?
rusty tucker Its bare UNIX.
Bob Nunn : Syntax - keep a series of 3 x 5's just to use it.
Jim Leary : for commands you mean?
Bob Nunn : yes
rusty tucker very powerful and useful system though
rusty tucker You should start with a couple books I can recommend.
Jim Leary : is it worth the time and effort? and how much time are we talking about to become familiar with it?
Jim Leary : Linux for Dummies is on order
rusty tucker from O'Reilly: "Essential System Administration"
Steve Messimer left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Steve Messimer
rusty tucker and "Linux configuration and Installation."
rusty tucker Do LOTS of reading before you attempt to install it.
Donald McHose joined the chat.
rusty tucker Welcome to the chat Donald!
Jim Leary : After doing a search on InfoSeek, I found a site that listed 5 or 6. One was Dummies and another was Linux for beginners. I ordered Dummies and will start with that
Jim Leary : It comes with a disk....I'll read first but don't you need to do as you read to learn best?
Donald McHose : depends if your building a bomb or not ;-)
Jim Leary : no bombs. just want to learn it and have more power on my computer
Jim Leary : If I'm able to get familiar enough with it at home, I may bring it here to work
Jim Leary : and possibly try running our server from it
Bill Gram-Reefer : Wow, and I thought I was a glutton for pain
Jim Leary : that bad huh?
Bob Nunn : You should use my search engine for books Jim - headgap.com/booksearch.html
rusty tucker If you take DOS, and remove ease of use, you're left with UNIX :)
Donald McHose : Better dive out..international company has arrived for inspection of my work area !!
Bill Gram-Reefer : JL, I'm just going thru a phase of trying to simplify things and I'm getting hives reading this
Donald McHose left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Donald McHose
Jim Leary : Do you need to go back to school; for this? Is it that difficult?
Bill Gram-Reefer : From what I hear the only people who have time for ARE in school
Bob Nunn : Our programmers all went back to school for it. Some are still going.
Jim Leary : When I see programmers flinch at UNIX I get worried
rusty tucker its very cool for programmers!
Bob Nunn : The company I am with is moving there system from old HP Mainframes to Unix Boxes.
Bob Nunn : I am planning to use the old mainframe as a print server.
Jim Leary : Is this a two plus year journey I've entered here just to get familiar with or are you guys exaggerating a bit
Jim Leary : Is it necessary to do it on a UNIX box? Can't you just use a PC or Mac?
Jim Leary : hello?
rusty tucker I'm not exaggerating much
Bob Nunn : My ISP uses Linux on Pentiums to do his serving. He is a good size ISP for Memphis.
Jim Leary : OK so I can use my Pentium at home then. That's a start...didn't want to buy anything just for this
rusty tucker Does he do his own admin., or pay somebody to run the machines?
rusty tucker UNIX boxes and sys-admins run around hand in hand. That should tell you a lot.
Jim Leary : yeah and they run around the world with all the money they make
Bill Gram-Reefer : JL it's not supposed to be easy so give it a whack
Jim Leary : I plan too, just wanted some insight from you guys
Bill Gram-Reefer : no courage here
rusty tucker Its a lot of work, learn it well enough, and its a job
rusty tucker or wait for MacOS X, UNIX with a Mac gloss.
Bob Nunn : I think Unix is to mainframes what PVC was to plumbers.
Bill Gram-Reefer : and spec are to building codes?
Jim Leary : I just wanted an idea of time here to get familiar with it. I mean can I install it in a week or so? Can I learn the basics and become familiar with it in a year...whats the time involved assuming a relatively intelligent person is doing it?
Jim Leary : OS X...no thanks. I ain't waiting and then dumping all my eggs in there
rusty tucker BGR - what's the good news about ISPCON?
rusty tucker Is it for hard core ISP operators, or web site guys too?
Bill Gram-Reefer : I'm getting lots of press to come. Dave Barry will give a luncheon speech which should be fun. There'll be lots of parties
Jim Leary : if iCrap is any indication of what to expect from X, I'm staying far away. I'll do it on my PC thank you
Bob Nunn : and where will it be held.
Bill Gram-Reefer : It's mostly for ISPs. Web site guys would be interested in E-commerce panels
Jim Leary : I just was wondering the time thing involved
Jim Leary : in getting things going with Linux
Jim Leary : and getting familiar
Bill Gram-Reefer : San Jose 9/20-10/2
Bill Gram-Reefer : 9/28-10/2
Bob Nunn : Maybe I can talk the co. into a ticket.
Bill Gram-Reefer : see www.ispcon.com
rusty tucker wow, a full week!!?
Bill Gram-Reefer : well, Monday is registration and the golf tourney, then Tuesday thru Thursday, really
Bob Nunn : Time to site see huh
rusty tucker :) - golf tourney!
rusty tucker I busted up when I saw that.
Bill Gram-Reefer : Sidgmore (worldcom/mci) will keynote as well as the head cheese at Netscape (maybe)
Bill Gram-Reefer : Peering issue will get kicked around real hard
Bill Gram-Reefer : sales guys
Bill Gram-Reefer : yeah, Unix sys admins playing golf, right
rusty tucker FORE!
Bill Gram-Reefer : no that's FOO
Jim Leary : a couple hundred thousand a year lets you do that BGR
Bill Gram-Reefer : you think someone with that kind of $$$ would play a more manly sport
rusty tucker tell me where to send my resume!
Bill Gram-Reefer : Someplace in Redmond, WA
Jim Leary : relaxation, why rough it up when you can get laid instead
Bob Nunn : He must not know the same sys-admin types that we get here.
rusty tucker note for UNIX admins BGR ;)
Bill Gram-Reefer : hee hee
Jim Leary : oops gotta go..duty calls. thanks for the advice on Linux
rusty tucker not
Bob Nunn : I am pretty sure one melted when he went out in the sun the other day.
Jim Leary : bye
Jim Leary left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Jim Leary
Bill Gram-Reefer : So RT can I ask the group about the printer/fax/scanner issue?
Bob Nunn : Looks like just me an RT at this point.
rusty tucker sure,
Bill Gram-Reefer : OK BN, we were discussing getting a cheapo stand-alone fax
Bill Gram-Reefer : but when I go to the OfficeMax
Bill Gram-Reefer : they have these gizmos that are scanner/bubblejet/fax/printers for around 400
Bill Gram-Reefer : PC only
Bill Gram-Reefer : But next generation will be USB
Bill Gram-Reefer : HP/Apple are now talking again, lots of HP printer ads in the catalogs now
rusty tucker oh, they're just $400?
Bill Gram-Reefer : but you got to buy a special cable
Bill Gram-Reefer : yeah go look
Bob Nunn : My wife uses one at her office. She made the purchasing decision on it.
Bill Gram-Reefer : Well I got the cheapo 119 fax just to last 6 months to wait and see about how these things will show up on Mac platform
Bill Gram-Reefer : if ever
Bill Gram-Reefer : since I also should replace my 8 year old LaserWriter NT that can't do PS level 2
Bill Gram-Reefer : JL was a little steamed me thinks
Bob Nunn : Yep several of the agents have them as well. Doubt you will get p2 for that $400 price range though??
Bill Gram-Reefer : So if I can get a good all-in-one machine ...If it's gonna last 5-6 years I'd pay 1200-2000 for a kick ass
rusty tucker I think you get those only if you need to save space.
rusty tucker For a printer, don't you want some nice hi-res laser?
Bill Gram-Reefer : just wondering if anyone knew of support for Mac drivers as the new ones with USB comes out so we can go from Mac out onto USB to parallel
Bob Nunn : I haven't seen that any of them are really heavy duty. But I haven't looked at the high end ones.
Bill Gram-Reefer : HP sells a 130000 page per month unit for under 1000
rusty tucker Drivers will be the issue for sure.
Bob Nunn : Someone is making adapters now that has the StyleWriter source or did I dream that?
Bill Gram-Reefer : look at the catalogs at the HP stuff and we can talk about it again
Bill Gram-Reefer : but they don't have the multipurpose stuff advertised
rusty tucker Isn't' that taking a Serial style write and adapting it to USB?
Bill Gram-Reefer : now it isn't then it will be
Bob Nunn : I will and will ask my wife to look at what is out. She has definite opinions about some and how they are constructed.
Bill Gram-Reefer : well there are other issues, too like ColorSync support, ICC profiles etc.
Bill Gram-Reefer : real obscure DTP stuff, level 3 PS that sort of gibberish that I don't think a dime a dozen machine at OfficeMax is going to worry about
Bob Nunn : I gotta run attending a 2 401k meet. Need the log RT. Thanks. See you Thursday :)
Bob Nunn left the chat.
rusty tucker c-ya Bob Nunn
rusty tucker c-ya Bill Gram-Reefer