INews Newsletter - Jul 02, 1999
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* * * I N e w s * * *
A publication of Internet Nebraska, composed and distributed by
* * * manager@inebraska.com * * *
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Volume 2, Number 14 July 2, 1999
Welcome to another issue of INews, Internet Nebraska's customer newsletter.
This biweekly newsletter communicates service bulletins, announcements and
other useful information to our customers. Please let us know what you think
of it. Archives of INews are located at http://www.inebraska.com/inews
In this issue: July 1 Difficulties
Linux
Desk Schedule on the Fourth and Fifth
Maintenance Downtime
Fourth of July
*** Broken Circuit(s) ***
Last night, July 1, much of the Internet Nebraska network suffered
sporadic outage due to telco difficulties with one of our T1s and the
multiple permanent virtual circuits attached to it. The Aliant folks
worked to get us back up as quickly as possible, and we apologize for any
inconvenience you may have experienced.
*** Linux ***
[Note: It's pronounced with a long "i". Linux combines Unix with Linus,
creator of Linux. In the U.S., it's 'eye'; anywhere else, it's "ee".
Nowhere does it make any sense to prononce Linux with the short 'i' one
hears in, say, "lint." Be vocal about this very important matter. Just
bacause they know it doesn't mean they can pronounce it.]
We get a lot of calls from users who have heard about Linux. Maybe they
aren't sure exactly what it is, so they don't know whether it would
improve their situation. Maybe they know it's an operating system (OS)
that everyone in the world is welcome to tweak, but it all sounds too
intimidating to get up and running and connected to the 'Net.
We thought it would be a good idea to offer just a little help to those
interested in trying it. There are several flavors of Linux (and a
handful of other free UNIX operating systems, such as FreeBSD), and
bazillions of resources of info about them. Linux users are generally
sharp folks with strong feelings about what's best OS-wise, and so we say
to them: We offer this only as one way of introduction to the world of
Linux. Those who go forth and hack will find the release that works best
for them, and what's in this article won't make any difference.
Linux has made great leaps in popularity in the last couple of years.
Although the learning curve is steeper than that of a MacOS or
Windows-based computers, the stability and power of Linux make it very
popular amongst the computer-savvy. Linux is no longer just for power-
users, however. Once you've mastered the fundamentals, Linux is as easy
to use as any software that comes out of Redmond. One of the things that
has helped to make Linux popular is its price: free. It is written and
tested by its users, the ultimate in "user feedback." It is available for
free download on the Internet and can also be purchased at local computer
stores (when you buy it at the store, you pay for the CD, packaging, book,
and perhaps even tech support, but the OS remains free.
Linux isn't for everyone. It requires a significant time investment to
learn and use. The amount of software available for Linux, although
growing rapidly, doesn't begin to approach the amount of software
available for your Windows or MacOS machine. However, everything most
users really need (an office suite, Internet tools, graphics programs,
database software, etc) is readily available for Linux, and more programs
are being written or ported every day.
Linux will run on just about any computer, from Intel machines ranging
from 386s to Pentium IIIs, Macintoshes, and all the way up to some of the
most powerful computers money can buy. The best and easiest way to get
your feet wet in Linux would be to visit http://www.linux.org .
Linux itself is just the base operating system. To do any useful work,
you also need a suite of utilities, tools, and applications. These suites
are available from many different sources, and are typically known as
distributions. RedHat Linux ( http://www.redhat.com/ ), is one of the
easiest and most popular Linux distributions on the market. Slackware
( http://www.slackware.com ), is another popular Linux distribution, as is
Debian Linux ( http://www.debian.org ). For the Mac enthusiast there is
PPCLinux ( http://www.linuxppc.org ), as well as Mklinux
( http://www.mklinux.org ), two distributions that run on Apple Macintosh
hardware.
Installation of Linux can range from easy to quite complex. Knowledge of
the exact hardware in your computer is a must. It is recommended that
only intermediate or advanced users with both some PC and UNIX experience
install Linux. If you're interested in playing with Linux, and you don't
have much computer experience, call your closest egg-head friend, and see
if you can get him or her to install Linux for you while you watch. The
steps required for installation depend on which distribution you're
installing, so the best advice we can give is to read the instructions
thoroughly, and if you're at all unsure about what you're doing, don't do
it.
The first thing you'll want to do after you get Linux installed is to get
it connected to the Internet, so that you'll be able to download more free
software, ask Linux questions on the newsgroups and chat servers, and of
course read the next INews. :) How you configure Linux to connect to the
Internet depends both on how you connect to the Internet (modem, ADSL,
etc), and also on which distribution you're using.
For the first example, we will be using RedHat 5.2 or higher and a modem
to connect to the Internet. The most important program when connecting
over a modem is the ppp daemon. RedHat installs this by default, but if
you're using another distribution, make sure you've told it to install
this package. To make things easier for you, we've found a free PPP setup
utility that will configure a pppd chatscript and setup DNS entries, phone
numbers, and modem initialization strings. We've provided this script
(which we didn't write and can't take credit for) at
http://www.inebraska.com/software/pppsetup-2.11.tar.gz .
After decompressing and extracting the archive, READ THE DOCUMENTATION.
Manuals, README files, and how-to documents are the Linux user's best
friend. In fact, if you ask in a newsgroup or chatroom a question that's
answered in the documentation, you will often be told to RTFM, or Read The
FINE Manual. (No matter what the more experienced users say, the F stands
for FINE. Honest. Really. We swear.) After reading the documentation,
you'll know what information you need to put where. You can find the
Internet Nebraska-specific settings and values on our web site at
( http://www.inebraska.com/help/howto/other.html ).
Linux also works great to connect to the Internet over a LAN (including
connections using an ADSL or ISDN router.) Configuring Linux for a LAN is
even easier. If you've already gotten your LAN installed, continue
reading. If not, you may want to check out the May 7th and June 4th
issues of INews (available at http://www.inebraska.com/inews ) for
information about LAN set-up.
If you are using NAT and dynamic addressing for your ADSL, setup is easy.
During the installation process the RedHat installer will ask you if you
will want to set up a Network. Choose yes. You want to connect via DHCP.
The settings are simple and taken care of automatically. If you have
static IPs, the setup is less automatic, but still straightforward. You
will need to know all of the information that was provided to you when
your router was configured for static IPs. Type in the appropriate IP
addresses in the network configuration and voila, you're up and running
over DSL.
If you already have RedHat installed (different distributions of Linux
have different programs with the same functionality) you can use your
Control Panel to add the Ethernet Interface as well as configure the LAN.
Just run the command "control-panel" as root.
Have fun playing with Linux. We're sure that if you try it out, not only
will you you learn a lot about your computer and UNIX-like operating
systems, but you'll also find a new respect for free software. It's
incredible how a group of people, for no monetary compensation, can put
together an operating system that's as good or better than anything the PC
industry has been able to put out.
But we still like Microsoft. Microsoft is good. Microsoft's lawyers have
no quarrel with us. Windows is good. All hail Bill Gates. Internet
Explorer will win the browser wars. Viva la Microsoft.
*** Schaefer's TV & Appliance Center - Advertisement ***
Schaefer's is an independently owned and
operated television, appliance, and home
theater retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Born out of a small corner drugstore four
decades ago, Schaefer's TV & Appliance is a
22,000 square-foot "superstore" today,
specializing in commercial/professional-grade
appliances, whole house sound systems, home
theater and central vacuum systems. The
success of Schaefer's is key to repeat
business. If a customer happens to have a
problem with a product, Schaefer's will bend
over backwards to get it solved. Our service
center is the largest in the city, and has been
voted Lincoln's #1 servicer for 10 years in a
row! A knowledgeable sales staff, express
delivery, easy financing, and our customer
service representatives are just a few of the
ways in which we at Schaefer's distinguish
ourselves from the rest. Stop by our showroom
at 48th and R in Lincoln, or call us at
402-464-8888, and see for yourself.
-- http://www.schaeferstv.com/index2.htm
*** Desk Schedule on the Fourth and Fifth ***
Internet Nebraska will be closed on the Fourth in observance of
Independence Day. We will open on Monday, July 5, between the hours of
noon and 6 p.m. We wish you all a great holiday, and urge you to play
hard, but play safely.
*** Maintenance Downtime ***
What INews would be complete without notice of an upcoming downtime?
We'll be upgrading the hard disks on our login server starting around 1:00
AM, Wednesday July 7th. This is a several-hour operation as we copy data
from old drives to new ones, however only some services will be affected
for extended periods.
You will be able to log in via PPP or ADSL, send and receive e-mail, surf
the web, etc. You will not be able to log into the UNIX shell or FTP into
our server to upload/download files or update your web pages.
After the copying is finished, there will be a few minute outage of all
services as systems are restarted to use the new disks.
*** The Capital Soccer Association - Advertisement ***
Capital Soccer Association specializes in
teaching soccer. However we recognize that
soccer, or any other youth sport is merely
one tool in the development of a young
child. Teamwork and sportsmanship through
knowledge and proficiency of the game are
our main goals.
-- http://www.capitalsoccer.com/
*** Fourth of July ***
As the Independence Day Holiday gets closer, Americans of all walks of
life are preparing for parades, fireworks, cookouts, and for most, a long
weekend. The July 4th holiday heralds the beginning of summer for most
people as schools are out and the heat of the midwest sizzles. How did
this summer festival of fireworks and cookouts come about? What is it we
are celebrating on this summer weekend?
The answer to that starts over 200 years ago. On July 4, 1776,
representatives from 13 colonies in a hot muggy Philadelphia, declared in
a written document our independence from Great Britain. The task of
getting the document signed began on August 2, 1776. Congress made sure
that all states would have access to an authenticated copy of the
Declaration by ordering a special printing of multiple copies on January
18, 1777. The original Declaration, now exhibited in the Rotunda of the
National Archives Building in Washington, DC, has faded badly -- largely
because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. Today,
this priceless document is maintained under the most exacting archival
conditions possible.
One of the most elaborate celebrations in 1777 occurred in Philadelphia.
This event had all of the elements of typical future celebrations -- the
discharge of cannon, one round for each state in the union, the ringing of
bells, a dinner, the use of music, the drinking of toasts (it would
subsequently be traditional to have one toast for each state in the
union), "loud huzzahs," a parade, fireworks, and the use of the nation's
colors, in this case the dressing up of "armed ships and gallies" in the
harbor.
In the past 200 years, our independence has been celebrated in many ways
and through both good and bad times. Always though, it has been a time of
reflection, meditation, and contemplation. Who we are as a people, where
we have been, and even where we are going as a nation is answered by this
event. Our founding fathers declared in a clear voice: This is the land
of the free where personal liberty and choices would be honored and
protected. As you and yours celebrate the birth of our nation, remember
to be safe, have fun, and appreciate the wonderful gifts we have as
Americans.
*** Advertise on Our Home Pages ***
What better way to advertise your business than on a Web page that is seen
tens of thousands of time every month? None, if you're paying as little
as we charge for it!
We are now offering banner advertising that rotates on all our pages, and
which is priced based on the number of impressions (viewings) per month.
Your banner can reach thousands of Nebraska residents, and this is a
unique way to advertise your Nebraska business to residents in the area.
Prices for banner advertisement can be found at:
http://www.inebraska.com/ad.html
We will also be selling links from our main page. Please contact
erikw@inebraska.com, or give us a give us a call at our office,
402-434-8680, and ask how you can reserve banner spots on some of the
hottest URL's in the state. The advertisers in this issue did, and we
recommend them highly.